[Kell]

sowed a row of peas and as the shoots started to appear a few were pulled out and left lying on the ground, root and all.  I presume this was birds as all my onion sets suffered a similar fate.  But back to the peas - the remainder of the green shoots about half an inch tall were cut off at ground level and left lying on the soil - not eaten. I had put down slug pellets so I'm guessing its not slug damage. I expect and don't mind a little damage from pests looking for something to eat but this just smacks of wanton vandalism!  I've heard that mice go for peas but is this what mice do?

[sunshineband]

This is exactly what happened to mine last year and I blamed pigeons

However I could be wrong, so would love to know what others think/know here.

PS Mine were all module sown in small groups this year and planted out when they were much taller, plus they are surrounded by string too

[shokkyy]

This year the mice have gone after my peas with a vengeance. They've now eaten two sowings of my Alderman peas, with only 5 or 6 peas surviving out of about 500 sown. Some of the peas had started shooting, but the mice did snip them off neatly to scoff the pea. These were very small shoots though, only just starting to come up. I've had to resort to 4mm wire mesh cages to stop them taking the third sowing.

I'd say which to blame depends on the size of the shoot. If it's very small shoots I'd blame the mice. If it was big green shoots I'd blame birds.

[cricketwidow]

I think you have mice and should put some mice traps down or not put the peas out until they are much taller, someone suggested curry powder to put the mice off of the scent of the pea because that's what their really after.  I hope this helps.

[grinling]

Can you net around the pea area?

[Kell]

put in another row of peas today.  have put chicken netting over them to keep any birds off and watered them with a weak solution of jeyes fluid (as suggseted by another allotmenteer) to disguise the smell and keep any mice away.  Must remember to put out slug pellets before the green shoots come through.  Let's see what happens.

[Yorkie]

put in another row of peas today.  have put chicken netting over them to keep any birds off and watered them with a weak solution of jeyes fluid (as suggseted by another allotmenteer) to disguise the smell and keep any mice away.  Must remember to put out slug pellets before the green shoots come through.  Let's see what happens.

Just to point out that this is an old technique which is no longer legal - Jeyes fluid can't be used for these purposes any longer.

[Squibbs]

If you live near a Mole Valley Farmers they sell 1/2 kg of kelvedon wonder peas covered in thiram for about 1.50 (from memory) Thiram is primarily used to prevent fungal disease - but mice don't like it and have left my peas mostly alone this year.

Of course you may not want to use interesting chemicals but then again you did say you would use jeyes on your seeds

[plopleuk]

ive planted my peas and covered with fleece to prevent mice and birds but i have only a few showing after 2 weeks, when i looked last night i saw a lot of ants at the side of the bed just under the fleece. is it possible they would take the peas? or am i expecting them to show too early?

[DD.]

Give them time, it's not been that warm.

Ants won't take you peas.

[angelavdavis]

I was recommended to sprinkle poultry manure pellets over the soil after planting peas to disguise their scent to discourage mice or rats from digging them up.  I haven't personally tried it as I always start peas off in root trainers to give them a fighting chance against the slugs but it makes sense to me!

[DD.]

You'll attract the foxes instead then!  

[Kell]

no foxes in the IOM so I'll put some chicken manure pellets around half the row and see if it makes any difference.  Noticed today that the leaves of my cabbage plants which I set out a week ago are half eaten.  Could be pigeons or pheasant?  Oh well, back to feeding the wildlife.

[angelavdavis]

no foxes in the IOM so I'll put some chicken manure pellets around half the row and see if it makes any difference.  Noticed today that the leaves of my cabbage plants which I set out a week ago are half eaten.  Could be pigeons or pheasant?  Oh well, back to feeding the wildlife.

It's a free for all this time of year with brassicas - could be slugs/snails or pigeons which are prime culprits on my plot, but you should cover then now against cabbage whites as well. They have appeared in my area so I have netted mine.