[LilacSandy]

My son has a king snake and has just cleared him out, I want to put out another lot of peas but they keep getting eaten by mice.  If I put the chippings around the planting area would it keep the mice away?

[arugula]

I presume you are referring to the smell putting mice off. It may do, why not try it and let us all know.

[brownp]

If it doesn't work - there's an idea I've see  on an allotment diary website of putting a temporary 'cage' of chicken wire over the row -once the peas come through, remove the mesh - you make the mesh by bending the wire over at the sides. Best image I can give is - imagine a load of staples when you refill a stapler - long with bent sides. I tried it and my peas came through.
Hope it makes sense/helps

[LilacSandy]

Thanks both, I will try the waste first and if that does not work I will get some mesh.

[RichardA]

if the snake waste works get the idea patented - see you on Dragon's Den.
R

[bigben]

I have had success with spraying with chilli sauce diluted in water. I think the mice react to the smell of the germinating peas so anything strong smelling will mask the smell long enough for them to germinate. The old boys used to roll their peas in paraffin but I did not like putting paraffin into my soil.  This year I planted them and then sprayed the surface of the soil with the diluted spray. I have heard of people dusting with curry powder to confuse the mice.

Good luck

[LilacSandy]

Most of my peas have germinated and are now a couple of inches high, however I should really have put in another row further up the plot to see if it was the snake scented wood chips or if they would have done any way.

I will try this again when he cleans Jake out again.

[prakash_mib]

one of our allotmenteers used lime in the pea trench and then sowed peas and told me that it keeps the mice off. she has the best pea plants in the association