IF your peas are in flower now, they are at risk from pea moth, which lays its eggs on pea flowers in June and July.

You won’t notice them until you open the pods to start shelling your peas and find that one or more of them have been attacked by a small white grub, which is usually still inside the pod.

To avoid pea moth, make early sowings of peas that flower in May and early June, or later sowings, that flower after July. Alternatively, grow mangetout, which is picked before the peas have developed.

Pea and bean weevils can also be a problem earlier on in spring, nibbling notches out of young leaves. However, they don’t generally cause serious harm and will not need controlling.

If you have gaps in your rows of peas, it may be due to mice. Start peas off in pots or sow extra seeds to fill the gaps later.