Pea moth - caterpillars in peas

[bikermike]

what are the usual suspects - presumably some kind of insect. can it be netted against?

[veggiechicken]

Pea moth maybe? https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=660

[Thelma Sanders]

Yes, because of the cold/late spring, my peas were sown much later than usual and got spoiled by pea moth - YUK!

With my usual early sowing, in mid-March, I don't get much damage, if at all. So I hope next year is back to normal, weather-wise

[bikermike]

ahh, is that the trick?

oh well, one for next year...

[nickdub]

like all pests of this type they tend to build up and get worse from year to year, unless you can break the cycle some how.

[Thelma Sanders]

ahh, is that the trick?

oh well, one for next year...

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=660

[goldwolf]

Trouble with Pea moth

This year I have had a disastrous pea row owing to the pea moth in fact 3/4 of a 20 foot row has been ruined, do's anyone know how to avoid it next year ? and is there a verity of pea that is less likely to be affected , I have grown Onward for the past few year. thanks for any help

[keat63]

Thats what they were then.
We shelled a load of peas yesterday with a few which had the grub.

I guess blanced, dipped in ice water and then frozen, any remainder will now be dead.

[veggiechicken]

In case you're confused, I've merged 2 threads about Pea moths!

[nickdub]

Blimey VC you lead an exciting life !

can't wait 'til your biography comes out ... :-)

[bikermike]

Nick you moths be taking the pea...

[veggiechicken]

Blimey VC you lead an exciting life !

can't wait 'til your biography comes out ... :-)

You have no idea how challenging it is to merge 2 threads. When you get it wrong, the "system" says "Nothing would be achieved by merging this thread with itself" and I feel like kicking the computer!

[nickdub]

I thought it might come back with "unacceptable thread in merging area" :-)

[Thelma Sanders]

Mine just says "do you really want to do that, stupid"

[Mark_Riga]

Not had much of problem with pea moths this year (yet) but attacked by pigeons for the first time in about 30 years. The total length was 34ft row and yielded a total of just over 4kg of peas when I would have expected 6kg. So the pigeons and dearth of rain had a significant effect.

I covered a second sowing with fleece in their early stages but this seems to have stunted their growth somewhat. Just starting to harvest these with first picking of 200g. yielding 80g peas when podded. Usually get about 1lb peas per foot giving about 180g (40%) peas when podded.

I always lose some to pea moth but I only came across 3 or 4 in the peas harvested so far. I would expect more in the second crop I've planted which is only about 18ft row to try and make up the losses on the previous sowing. So I wouldn't particularly recommend fleece but, like Thelma, would plant something like Hurst Greenshaft or pea onward as early as possible in your area. I sow in seed trays a couple of weeks prior to planting out.