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Peas being chomped!!

gouldahgouldah Posts: 34
in Fruit & veg
What is eating my peas? This is a second sowing- same thing happened before. Should I clear the bed and put a new layer of compost and re- sow? Or is it a mouse or little critter? Never happened before! 

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I had the same and used a trailcam to discover they were being pecked and eaten by both greenfinches and sparrows!  Woodpigeons will also shred them like that in one 'sitting'.  I had to resort to netting over the whole bed to get a decent crop.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    Agreed. The birds can create havoc in the veg and fruit area. The smaller ones can get under the twigs that you put to interfer with the pigeon flight path so as Bob says netting is needed to allow the small plants to get established.
  • gouldahgouldah Posts: 34
    Thanks - glad its not something nasty! I will resow and cover the bed completely and peg it down!!!  
  • Caroline117Caroline117 Posts: 45
    edited June 2020
    Yes I agree it will be birds. Sparrows love the taste of them. Left a tray of seedlings out ready to plant and i watched them snaffle them stem and all within minutes! I net them all now and only grow shorter varieties. Thought mice were doing it till I saw them for my very own eyes
  • gouldahgouldah Posts: 34
    Thank you Caroline- yes summer planting just coming through so I will net them and hopefully get some later! 
  • ColinAColinA Posts: 392
    another problem on our allotments has been jackdaws eating peapods off the established plants
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