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Pea Moth & Maggot... May-July

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  • Pea Moth & Maggot... May-July

    this is such a good article, I've reproduced it here:

    The pea moth, Cydia nigricana, is 6mm long with a 12mm wingspan. It is an olive brown colour with black and white bars on the front edge of its forewings and long antennae. Between 5 and 11 days after adult moths emerge they lay flat transparent/white eggs (size of a pinhead) on the leaves, pods, flowers or stems of pea plants.

    After 1 to 3 weeks (depending on temperature) minute yellowish/white caterpillars with dark heads emerge. These migrate to and bore into young pea pods. Larval development lasts from 18 to 30 days after which the fully grown caterpillars (12mm) bore back out through pod walls and drop to the ground to spin cocoons containing particles of soil. They hibernate over the winter in these cocoons.

    There is one generation per year. Overwintering pea moths pupate inside cocoons and emerge to look for pea crops from the end of May to the end of July coinciding
    with flowering time.
    Each caterpillar can damage up to 6 seeds although usually damage only 1 or 2. They chew irregularly shaped holes in the peas contaminating them with frass (faeces). Attacked pods may yellow and ripen prematurely but
    damage is generally not detected until the pea pods are shelled revealing the frass, silk and sometimes the larva also. Damage is easily distinguished from that of the pea weevil, which makes smooth, round holes in peas.

    Pea moths attack field and garden peas along with sweet peas and vetch. Damage from pea moth is a big problem for commercial growers but gardeners can easily discard the damaged peas when shelling pods.

    Levels of infestation can be minimised by
    ✲ planting early or late to miss the flight period of the pea moth and don’t delay harvesting peas.
    ✲ cover peas with horticultural fleece to keep moths off the growing crop.
    ✲ pea moth pheromone traps; they interfere with normal mating signals reducing their ability to mate successfully (available from suppliers such as defenders Defenders - Safe Effective Natural Biologist Pest Control for Gardeners or 01233 813121).
    ✲ if infestation is severe avoid planting any pea moth hosts (including sweet peas and vetch) for a couple of years. This is much more difficult on an allotment where neighbours will probably grow these plants.
    http://www.pan-uk.org/Info/Gardening...ne2005Tips.pdf
    Last edited by Two_Sheds; 01-06-2008, 08:49 AM.
    All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

  • #2
    my grandad used to put egg shells on sticks amongst his peas to stop pea moths, apparently the shape of them used to confuse them
    Kernow rag nevra

    Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.
    Bob Dylan

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    • #3
      I'm bumping this Thread for HeyWayne. xx
      All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post
        I'm bumping this Thread for HeyWayne. xx
        Cheers TS, readit. I might opt for pheremone if it gets worser.

        Thanks my dear.
        A simple dude trying to grow veg. http://haywayne.blogspot.com/

        BLOG UPDATED! http://haywayne.blogspot.com/2012/01...ar-demand.html 30/01/2012

        Practise makes us a little better, it doesn't make us perfect.


        What would Vedder do?

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        • #5
          Save your money Wayne. Barriers are totally effective and much cheaper (esp. if you use Voile net curtains like what I do)
          Last edited by Two_Sheds; 18-06-2009, 05:16 PM.
          All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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          • #6
            I was only gonna buy some of that cheap pheremone aftershave stuff from Ann Summers - it's bad enough to keep most pests away.

            Voila curtains are expensive where I've seen them - even as material in Dunelm.
            A simple dude trying to grow veg. http://haywayne.blogspot.com/

            BLOG UPDATED! http://haywayne.blogspot.com/2012/01...ar-demand.html 30/01/2012

            Practise makes us a little better, it doesn't make us perfect.


            What would Vedder do?

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by HeyWayne View Post
              I was only gonna buy some of that cheap pheremone aftershave stuff from Ann Summers - it's bad enough to keep most pests away.

              Voila curtains are expensive where I've seen them - even as material in Dunelm.
              Charity shops. Surely you have them even down south?
              Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

              www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

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              • #8
                Voile is 99p a metre on eBay: 40" DROP WHITE VOILE SOLD BY THE METER on eBay, also, Net Curtains, Curtains Blinds, Home Garden (end time 13-Aug-08 17:29:22 BST)

                actually debris netting is cheaper, and wider, 68p a metre. DEBRIS NETTING 2m x 50m GREEN, SCAFFOLD / GARDEN NET on eBay, also, Scaffolding Ladders, Building Materials Supplies, Business, Office Industrial (end time 19-Jul-08 13:13:05 BST)
                All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                • #9
                  I've bumped this thread, because I got my first pea maggots today

                  My first sowings were unaffected, but they got into my later (direct) sowings. I will now net the crop, and sow some more in July for an autumn crop
                  All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                  • #10
                    Do you bin the infected pods, Twosheds, or is it safe to chuck them in the compost?

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                    • #11
                      Compost - the maggot will quickly run out of food (the pea) and die.
                      All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by kernowyon View Post
                        my grandad used to put egg shells on sticks amongst his peas to stop pea moths, apparently the shape of them used to confuse them
                        Sorry to drag this up, but has anyone tried this and do you use the whole egg?

                        And am I grabbing at straws?
                        "Orinoco was a fat lazy Womble"

                        Please ignore everything I say, I make it up as I go along, not only do I generally not believe what I write, I never remember it either.

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                        • #13
                          might be a silly question so i apolagise in advance if it is.
                          Im growing a load of mangetout peas..... is there any way of telling if the pods have them in at all as i was going to steam the whole lot.

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                          • #14
                            OK- I have my Ikea net curtains on standby for tomorrow!
                            Thanks for the reminder- my second crop is 3" high!
                            "Nicos, Queen of Gooooogle" and... GYO's own Miss Marple

                            Location....Normandy France

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by stavroslinni View Post
                              . is there any way of telling if the pods have them in at all as i was going to steam the whole lot.
                              Go ahead and steam them. What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't fret over ...
                              All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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