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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: chippy queen on July 25, 2010, 12:58:36

Title: Peas & Maggots
Post by: chippy queen on July 25, 2010, 12:58:36
Just another quick question - why have some of my pease got maggots in them??
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: PAULW on July 25, 2010, 14:31:04
cos the pea moth layed an egg in the flower
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: Anne Robertson on July 25, 2010, 18:36:41
Thank you for the answer, I've been dying to know how they do it as pea pod looks perfect from the outside. Can you do anything to prevent them laying eggs in the flower? Thanks.
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: manicscousers on July 25, 2010, 19:19:52
sow early, later or spray, we're just starting to see them in the mummy peas we're supposed to be getting seed from  :-\
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: Kepouros on July 25, 2010, 22:33:15
The normal method of prevention is to spray the plants with insecticide when they are in full bloom, but this probably kills more bees (and other pollinators) than pea moths.  The early peas usually miss them and I just keep my fingers crossed for the later ones.
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: suemo on July 26, 2010, 22:38:40
Cover plants with fine mesh netting!!
Last year my peas were full of caterpillars but after netting this year,I haven't found a single pod(yet) with them in.I was a bit worried that the plants might not get pollinated with the netting on but I needn't have worried.They've got lots of pods on 
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: macmac on July 26, 2010, 22:43:19
We don't spray  :o
you see the odd maggot when podding and we've hade very few this year.The koi have enjoyed the "dodgy"ones we've frozen the peas and made wine with the pods "simples"
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: earlypea on July 27, 2010, 18:14:55
A bloke on the plots told me that marrowfat peas don't suffer from the pea moth at all.

Is that other peoples' experiences too?
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: Robert_Brenchley on July 27, 2010, 18:31:37
Unfortunately not.
Title: Re: Peas & Maggots
Post by: earlypea on July 27, 2010, 19:29:15
What a shame - wonder what makes him think so, lucky I guess.