[Mike.white]

Just been to my mums and her peas are absolutely devastated.... odd thing is I can't see any aphids etc on them - anyone have any ideas? (see pics)

[savbo]

just spotted same kind of damage on the mangetout in the garden - slugs?

M

[mumofstig]

Have you had a good look about? It looks like caterpaillar damage...unless you have very hungry snails....................wouldn't put my life on it but i'm sure slugs can't climb up...but snails can

[Mike.white]

Hmmm... the peas are about 5 feet high, and about a 6 foot long row - I can't find anything on them at all...

[Mike.white]

any ideas, anyone??

[sunshineband]

Caterpillars that only come out at night?  (Not joking some do)

[Yorkie]

any ideas, anyone??

Having been read 46 times, as I post this, it can only be that the people who have read it do not know the answer.

I can assure you that if they knew, the people on here would not ignore the question and there is really no need to "bump" the thread, particularly only a couple of hours after the previous posts.

May I refer you to our site policies...

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19481.0
 

[2peasinapod]

whilst weeding my peas the other day I did notice slugs in the mix, and my peas look a little like yours only a lot smaller (only been in a month or so), so slugs do climb.

why is it the critters never eat the weeds??
if you tried to cultivate weeds somat would decide it liked it.....

[Salmo]

I would put my money on slugs or snails. The damage looks as though it was done when the leaves were smaller and as the leaves have expanded so have the holes. Also there is no damage on the pods. Are there any slime trails? If damage is still being inflicted go out now, i.e. after dark and look for the culprits. They may be tiny.

Sprinkle a few slug pellets at the base and see how many slugs you kill overnight. Just a few, no point in plastering them on.

Incidentally I have seen field snails in their hundreds feeding on algae 20 foot up in ash trees so I know they can climb and 5 ft is nothing.

[love-my-plot]

I agree it's most likely slug damage. My peas were the same a few weeks ago ...... an evening patrol with torch revealed slugs were munching happily away! The plants are
about 5ft tall and some of the slimeys were WAY up high on the plants, so they most definately do climb.

The plants recovered and we've harvested lots of peas already ... lovely they are too  

[mumofstig]

some of the slimeys were WAY up high on the plants, so they most definately do climb.

Well i never!.....have never seen a slug climb (maybe inside a lettuce...but up a pea plant ) .... so you learn something new every day 

[peterjf]

your pea pest could be coddling moth catterpillers

[Gardeningguru]

Hi Mike,

Definately not caterpillars, they only eat at (or at least start to eat) the edges of leaves, some of these holes start from the middle.  As far as I am concerned that is most definately slug/snail damage.

Although not ideal, slug pellets are the only viable option in my opinion.  Use them very sparingly and clear away the "dead" critters after, and you will have a minimal impact to the environment.

[Mike.white]

any ideas, anyone??

Having been read 46 times, as I post this, it can only be that the people who have read it do not know the answer.

I can assure you that if they knew, the people on here would not ignore the question and there is really no need to "bump" the thread, particularly only a couple of hours after the previous posts.

May I refer you to our site policies...

http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=19481.0
 

oops..........sorry! (and thanks all for replying - looks like it is the torch tonight for me!!)

[sunshineband]

Hi Mike,

Definately not caterpillars, they only eat at (or at least start to eat) the edges of leaves, some of these holes start from the middle.  As far as I am concerned that is most definately slug/snail damage.

Although not ideal, slug pellets are the only viable option in my opinion.  Use them very sparingly and clear away the "dead" critters after, and you will have a minimal impact to the environment.

Sadly no one told the little green jobs on my cabbages about this, that I painstaking removed earlier today -- holes in the middle I'm afraid