Netting peas against pests

[Twinsane]

I always grow tall pea varieties and our allotment site is plagued with pigeons which always try to eat my peas. I have tried putting short netting around the outside of the pea beds but the pea plants attach to the netting and then want to grow up the short netting instead of the tall supports in the centre. Even worse, for the past 3 or 4 years, I've had quite bad weevil damage. I read that if you keep watering them and cover them with fleece to help them grow faster, they will out-grow the damage but it doesn't seem to work and the crop on the plot isn't worth the trouble. I'm not sure how to protect them without the peas attaching to the netting. The only option I can think of is a bigger frame over the entire 12 x 4 bed to net over tAhe top of everything but I'm hoping someone has a simpler suggestion... anyone?

[ameno]

Insect mesh? The tendrils might still cling to it, but the holes are too small for any of the stems or leaves to actually grow through.
You don't need to worry about leaving access for pollinators, as peas are self-setting, anyway. Indeed, they often pollinate before the flowers even open.

Funnily enough, I never have any problems with pigeons eating my peas, but I did have big problems with sparrows eating the young plants last year. Had to cover them with mesh in the end to keep them out.

[Bren In Pots]

I grow tall telephone peas and cover them with debris netting it keeps out birds and pea moths. I wouldn’t have much of a crop without netting.

[Twinsane]

Thank you ameno. Does it damage the plant when you pull them off the mesh? In the past, I have even manged to pull out a plant or two when I've tried to get under protection to weed :\ I switched to fleece so the plants don't attach but then they are flopping on the ground and don't seem to pick up very well.

[Nicos]

I used to grow mine up sheep fencing wire which was staked down the middle of two rows. (It’s easy to rip off the tendrils afterwards -or even put a blowtorch to them ( pinched from the kitchen!)

Then I would wrap a length of fleece horizontally around the outside and clip it on with clothes pegs.
I’d take it off as soon as I got to the lottie - as with the carrot fleece and strawberry fleece - to allow time for insects to pollinate them.
’The great unveil’

Worked a treat.

Here, we try to use more natural things like pea sticks etc in the potagers we have in the gitegardens, basically cos they look so much more attractive....but definitely not as productive.

by the way...Lovely to see you Twinsane

[ameno]

Thank you ameno. Does it damage the plant when you pull them off the mesh? In the past, I have even manged to pull out a plant or two when I've tried to get under protection to weed :\ I switched to fleece so the plants don't attach but then they are flopping on the ground and don't seem to pick up very well.

It's not been a problem for me, but then I don't grow tall varieties, so it may be a little different.
Perhaps cover it in short enough sections that you can just reach an arm in from the side to pick, rather than having to actually lift the mesh right off?