Pests & diseases › Pea Moth
Pea Moth
Small moth whose caterpillars feed inside pea pods — the maggoty peas you find when shelling.
Symptoms
- Small cream caterpillars inside pods when shelling
- Frass (droppings) and silk webbing inside pods
- Apparent damage from the outside is minimal
Lifecycle
Adult moths fly June–August, lay eggs on pea flowers.
What to do
- Bin badly-affected pods
- Pheromone traps catch males — useful indicator and small reduction
If it's bad
- Pyrethrum spray — time to 7–10 days after first flowers open
Stop it coming back
- Sow very early (Feb–March) or late (June) to dodge the egg-laying window
- Fine mesh over flowering pea rows
- Resistant varieties: Twinkle, Cavalier
Crops it goes for
Plan the plot, track every sowing, cook the harvest
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.