What's eating my mangetout pea?

Mangetout peas are most troubled by pea aphids on growing tips and pea moth larvae inside pods. Mice steal seeds; pigeons and rabbits strip seedlings. Pea and bean weevil notches leaf margins in spring. Netting protects from birds and rabbits; pinching aphid tips and time-sowing to avoid pea moth flight are key defenses.

Green colonies on shoot tips and flower buds; wilting, honeydew, and sooty mould; pod set is reduced. Pinch infested tips. Spray with insecticidal soap or soft soap solution. Grow attractant flowers (phacelia, pot marigold) to boost parasitic wasp and ladybird numbers.

Caterpillars inside pods eating developing peas; tiny entry holes and frass on pod surface at harvest. Sow early (before March) or late (after June) to avoid the June–August adult flight. Pheromone traps to monitor flight. Fine netting over plants during flowering prevents egg-laying.

Seedlings and young shoots stripped to bare stalks; pigeons peck from above, rabbits at ground level. Erect wire mesh tunnels or pea netting immediately after sowing. Bury mesh edges 15 cm to stop rabbits burrowing. Humane deterrents (CDs, scarers) for pigeons.

U-shaped notches bitten from leaf margins; rarely kills established plants but weakens seedlings. Fleece over young plants until 15 cm tall. Water regularly to reduce plant stress. Damage usually stops as plants grow. Chemical control is rarely needed at garden scale.