"David Hill" wrote in message
...
On 05/06/2012 17:32, Christina Websell wrote:
"Bob wrote in message
...
"Christina Websell" wrote ...


"Paul wrote in message
. uk...
The peas (mangetous) that I planted in the allotment didn't seem to
germinate so I put some into containers. They all then germinated so
the
allotment got a second row and the excess went into the garden.

The peas in the garden are now flowering despite a dry and shady
location. Those down the allotment seem to have been defoliated apart
from any shoots that made it to 9" above ground level. Can anyone
suggest a culprit ( guessing pigeons but we get those in the garden
too)
and how to protect them ?

I'm having the same problem with the peas I've planted on the
allotment,
but it cannot be pigeons in my case as they are netted against birds.
They were perfectly OK when I reared them here from seed but when I
planted them out on the lottie, something is chomping them.


Probably mice. If there is still any sign of the original pea they will
chomp it off and leave you a felled plant to die.

I don't think it's mice, it seems to be just the lower leaves that are
getting very kind of frilled and chomped. As they are starting to get
away,
the upper leaves are fine. I grew them in paper pots and just planted
them
in them.


Have you ever thought of looking at the bite marks?
Birds will leave a v shaped beak mark
Mice will leave a small pair of tooth marks with a small pointed piece
between the 2 teeth, rabbits will leave a much larger version of mouse
bite mark
Slugs and snails will rasp an area away whilst caterpillars will leave
semi circles of small chomp marks.

Sounds like caterpillars then, semi circles of small chomp marks. It seems
like a good idea to take the netting off to let the birds that eat
caterpilllars eat them.
On the other hand if I take the netting off the pigeons will get the peas.