[Anke]

There are owls about, keeping me awake at night with their towhit-towhoing right outside the window... and the buzzard hunts in the field, so I think that's why they've gone undercover...

[goosepimple]

You can buy statue owls for the very purpose, life size, I've seen them in fields, on one occasion I saw about 6 in the one field, like an owl conference. 


Maybe you get battery ones that screech (?) on occasions eyes moving, wings flapping.  They'll be the expensive ones   

[regen]

Your problem is almost certainly wood mice and not voles. They do not eat the plants -thats just collateral damage as a result of them digging them up to get at the seed cotyledons. If it was voles then they would have eaten the green material first . Once the plants are about 150mm high the mice loose interest because the cotyledons have shrivelled. Plant the seeds in pots or trays and keep them totally covered in a propagator type construction with no gaps and mesh breathers with 10mm diameter holes max.

If sowing direct to ground then I cover with 10mm weld mesh cloches held down with 5mm wire hoops and a piece of slate at each end and leave in position until the plants are about 150mm tall. Works for me every time.

Regen

[captainhastings]

I planted two trenches of peas a few weeks ago and nothing. But I have seen the odd shoot that has been nipped off. They were covered in debris netting but I didn't seal around the edges with soil like I normally do. I suspect mice and the culprits
We are away this week so I might get a nice surprise when we get back but doubt it. Best plant some more and try again

[cans]

We have mice eating our peas in the raised beds at the allotment.  We thought it was pigeons but OH found a neat wee pile of bits in a corner. Never had any bother at the last house and that was with a mouse living in the garden. 

[captainhastings]

I soaked my peas in paraffin for 10 seconds and resowed and this time they have emerged 

[Lesley Silvester]