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what is this on my peas? I can't see any insects or tiny animals anywhere.

Claire.BeeClaire.Bee Posts: 57
in Fruit & veg
Can anybody tell me what is this all over my peas?
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Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Leaf miners. Basically the larvae of moths or flies that live within the leaf structure and dig those tunnels as they eat their way through it. Where you see the squiggly lines you'll see there is a thin end and it gradually gets thicker as the line gets longer. This is because the bug is getting bigger as it eats more leaf. You can just see dark shapes within the transparent areas of the leaf and those are the larvae.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • Claire.BeeClaire.Bee Posts: 57
    Oh yes, I can see them. What is the best way of getting rid of them please?
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    You can just nip the end of the ‘tunnel‘ between finger and thumbnail but to be honest I don’t bother. It doesn’t seem to affect the crop and I wouldn’t want to spray with anything that would affect our precious pollinators 🐝 🦋 😊 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Claire.BeeClaire.Bee Posts: 57
    If it doesn't effect the crop I will just leave it as well then, thanks for your help.
  • strelitzia32strelitzia32 Posts: 758
    Don't forget to check your peas for them too, when shelling, or you might get extra protein with your veg dinner  ;) . White fluff inside the pod is a giveaway sign there's probably a worm in the works... Or a parasite in the pea. Or a moth in the mangetout. 
  • Claire.BeeClaire.Bee Posts: 57
    Will check them with my glasses on then! Thankyou     
  • shooter007shooter007 Posts: 22
    Wipe off any very small white or yellowy eggs leaf miners have two life cycles per year kill the little maggots 
  • BigladBiglad Posts: 3,265
    Ahh - I've got some of that on my peas as well. I did wonder. Thanks for the info folks.
    East Lancs
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    I don't think I've ever grown peas which didn't have miners and have good crops, so they are only a bit of a cosmetic problem in my opinion.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • John HardingJohn Harding Posts: 541
    Swiss Chard and Beetroot also suffer from leaf miners. I have found an effective treatment is to hang sticky yellow cards (can be bought on eBay) close to the plants. The fly that lays its eggs on the underside of the leaves is attracted to the yellow and sticks to it. Inspect the undersides of leaves frequently and rub off any tiny white eggs you find - they are usually in clutches of 1/2 a dozen or so: as the flies are caught the deposit of eggs reduces thereby reducing the damage to the leaves. It is more important on leafy crops such as Swiss Chard or even on beetroot because the damage stunts the growth of the developing edible root and the Swiss Chard leaves are not so appetising when they are covered in damage.
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