What's eating my spencer mixed sweet pea?

Sweet peas are targeted by aphids (especially black bean aphid), slugs on seedlings, and pea moth caterpillars. Thrips can silver and distort flowers. Mice and birds sometimes dig up seeds before germination. Aphids are the most persistent threat — check shoot tips weekly and act early.

Dense black colonies on shoot tips and tendrils; distorted, stunted new growth; sticky honeydew leading to sooty mould Pinch out heavily infested tips; blast off with water; use insecticidal soap or neem oil spray; encourage ladybirds and lacewings

Ragged holes in seedling leaves and stems; seedlings can be severed at the base overnight Use copper tape around containers; apply iron phosphate pellets; hand-pick at night; use grit or sharp sand mulch around plants

Caterpillars tunnel into developing pods and feed on seeds; tiny holes in pods with frass Cover with fine insect mesh when in flower; use pheromone traps to monitor adult moths; avoid sowing in peak moth emergence windows (May–June in UK)

Silver-white streaking and speckling on petals and foliage; flowers appear bleached or distorted Remove damaged blooms; apply spinosad or insecticidal soap; avoid overhead watering which spreads populations; blue sticky traps for monitoring