What pests attack peas?

Leaf Miner, Pea moth, Two-spotted spider mite

What diseases affect peas?

Downy Mildew, Fusarium wilt, White mould (Sclerotinia)

Peas pests and diseases: how to recognise them

Q: Which peas problems need quick action?

Downy Mildew: Pale green, yellow, purple or brown blotches on the upper side of leaves, often angular where they are bordered by the veins. Fusarium wilt: A cut stem shows brown or reddish-brown water-conducting tissue — lines lengthways, dots or a ring in cross-section. White mould (Sclerotinia): Later, hard black seed-like bodies (sclerotia) 0.5–1 cm across in the mould and inside hollow stems.

Lathyrus oleraceus

The pests, diseases and disorders recorded for peas in our library, each with a photo and its first symptom. Every page has the full list of symptoms, organic and chemical treatment and prevention.

At a glance

Problems in total	6
Pests	3
Diseases	3
Need quick action	3

How to grow peas · All pests and diseases

Pests

Leaf MinerWinding white or brown tunnels (mines) inside the leaf, or on beet, chard, spinach and celery large pale blotches that soon turn brown and papery.Photo: Flowersabc, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Pea mothWhen shelling, one or two creamy-white caterpillars up to 14 mm long with dark dots are found eating into the peas.Photo: Janet Graham, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Two-spotted spider miteFine silk webbing over leaves and shoot tips in heavy attacks.Also called: red spider mitePhoto: Gilles San Martin from Namur, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Diseases

Which peas problems need quick action?

These spread or do lasting harm fast; check the plants and start treatment the day you see them.

Downy Mildew: A white, grey or purple mould on the underside of the leaf, directly below each blotch, in damp weather.
Fusarium wilt: White, pink or orange fungal growth may appear on dead stems in wet weather; the whole plant usually dies.
White mould (Sclerotinia): Roots, heads, pods and fruit can rot too, also in storage.

Plants with many of the same problems

Which plants each problem affects: sources

The links between these problems and the plant were checked against these pages.