Peas are a favored garden vegetable, known for their sweet flavor and nutritional content. This makes them appealing to various creatures, from insects to mammals. Understanding which animals are attracted to pea plants helps gardeners identify pest damage and implement protective measures.
Common Mammalian Pea Eaters
Mammals often cause significant damage to pea plants due to their size and appetite. Rabbits target young pea shoots, nipping them close to the ground. This can stunt growth or destroy plants.
Deer are also notable pea eaters, browsing on entire plants, including leaves, stems, and pods. They can quickly decimate a pea patch, especially the tender tops of the plants.
Groundhogs are fond of both pea leaves and pods, often consuming a large portion of the plant. Squirrels dig up newly planted pea seeds or consume developing pods directly from the vine.
Mice and voles typically feed on pea seeds, particularly those that are newly sown, and may also graze on young seedlings or pods close to the ground.
Common Avian Pea Eaters
Birds can also be problematic for pea plants, especially during the early growth stages. Pigeons peck at pea leaves, sometimes leaving only stalks and larger leaf veins. They can decimate young plants and prevent a crop.
Sparrows are another common avian pest, known for pecking at emerging pea foliage and young seedlings. They may pull off leaves or nip at the growth on primary meristems.
Jays have also been observed eating peas and beans. Bird damage often involves small, beak-shaped wounds or severed plant parts left on the ground.
Common Insect and Mollusc Pea Eaters
A range of invertebrates can also feed on pea plants, each leaving distinct signs of damage. Aphids, particularly pea aphids, are sap-sucking insects that cluster on upper leaves, stems, and terminal buds. Heavy infestations can lead to deformed leaves, wilting, yellowing, stunted growth, and reduced pod yields. They also excrete honeydew, which can cause secondary fungal growth.
Pea weevils, a type of beetle, cause damage in both adult and larval stages. Adult weevils create distinctive U-shaped notches along the leaf margins, particularly on young leaves. Their larvae, however, feed unseen within the pea pods, consuming the seeds, which can reduce seed weight and market value.
Cutworms, which are moth larvae, are nocturnal and typically cut young pea stems at or just below the soil surface. They can destroy entire seedlings in a single night, leaving plants severed at the base.
Slugs and snails are molluscs that chew irregular holes in pea leaves and pods, often leaving behind a characteristic silvery slime trail. They are particularly active during cool, moist conditions and can consume entire seedlings or severely damage older plants.
Recognizing Signs of Damage
Identifying the type of animal causing damage to your pea plants involves observing specific clues. Clean, sharp cuts on stems or leaves often indicate damage from small mammals like rabbits or deer, while ragged tears or missing portions of leaves might point to birds pecking.
The presence of U-shaped notches on leaf edges is a strong indicator of adult pea weevil activity. Look for physical evidence such as small droppings near the plants or distinct footprints in the soil, which can help pinpoint larger culprits.
Tunnels or disturbed soil around the base of plants suggest the presence of burrowing rodents like voles or mice. Slime trails on leaves or the ground are definitive signs of slug or snail activity.
If young plants are severed at the soil line overnight, cutworms are a likely cause.