The mice have eaten my pea seeds!

[Allnamesaregone]

Any suggestions how to prevent this?
We have 2 beds beds of peas. One lot came up fine. The other has been totally stripped. It’s not birds as I cover with fleece, or slugs as I put a few slug pellets down when I sow.
Only about 4 plants have come up in the entire bed of 4 rows. Yesterday I checked the soil and there is nothing under the ground- the seeds are gone.
How do prevent this? It’s half our pea crop!

Get a cat

Sadly we lost our old girl last year, who was a prolific mouser, which would explain it. Maybe once this lockdown is over we should look at that.

Is there anything we can do this year? I’ve got time to plant more. I guess I could spout them in pots first.

Try a few in pots and also reseed but remember the rule. One to grow, one for worms and one for the birds/mice ie sow more than three times what you need!

Plant some more and set mouse traps. We usually lose some to mice and that’s with a cat.

I agree with everything WitchWindows said 👍

Sprout them indoors then plant out. Sorted.

This is my set up on my allotment for peas: fine metal grid on the floor to prevent mice, cage surround to prevent pigeons. Then sow three times as many as you need just in case.

start them in a tray on the windowsill.

btw you can eat the shoots as salas as well.

That’s an impressive set up!

Maybe once this lockdown is over we should look at that. You might be able to get somewhere sooner - cats aren't obeying the lockdown and I've heard that rescue places are overflowing. Not all of them do home visits, and if you know you're a good owner, that's OK.

I guess I could spout them in pots first. Yes, that works. I grow mine in pots to about 6inches high, gets them past the slug stage too. Cover the pots, in case mice have access to them.