Got all my seed peas picked yesterday, nice and dry. I've now shelled
them and got them into paper bags.
In the past I've found I have had some sort of maggot in them over the
winter, now I am wondering if I should spray with fly spray and then
seal the bag they are all in.
Any ideas?
David@ a now sunny side of Swansea Bay.

David Hill wrote:

In the past I've found I have had some sort of maggot in them over the
winter, now I am wondering if I should spray with fly spray and then
seal the bag they are all in.
Any ideas?

When a U.S. seedsman discovered weevil eggs in their pea seed, they sent
all the purchasers this:

We'll give you a refund.
You can just put the seed in a plastic bag in the freezer for a few days,
which will kill eggs and any larvae and won't hurt the seed at all.

I did the latter, and had no problems.

Seriously, freezing is a good preventive measure if the seeds are properly
dried. That's how very long term storage is done.


--
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

On 12/09/2015 21:41, Gary Woods wrote:
David Hill wrote:

In the past I've found I have had some sort of maggot in them over the
winter, now I am wondering if I should spray with fly spray and then
seal the bag they are all in.
Any ideas?

When a U.S. seedsman discovered weevil eggs in their pea seed, they sent
all the purchasers this:

We'll give you a refund.
You can just put the seed in a plastic bag in the freezer for a few days,
which will kill eggs and any larvae and won't hurt the seed at all.

I did the latter, and had no problems.

Seriously, freezing is a good preventive measure if the seeds are properly
dried. That's how very long term storage is done.


Thanks Gary

"David Hill" wrote in message
...
Got all my seed peas picked yesterday, nice and dry. I've now shelled them
and got them into paper bags.
In the past I've found I have had some sort of maggot in them over the
winter, now I am wondering if I should spray with fly spray and then seal
the bag they are all in.
Any ideas?
David@ a now sunny side of Swansea Bay.

could it be pea moth waiting for their last chance? I've always been
lucky with saved seed peas and had no problems, but I put them in airtight
tins. I wouldn't spray them with fly spray myself, have you seen what it
does to flies? It acts on their nervous system and I don't want such a
noxious chemical on my seeds.

I don't even use fly spray at all, who knows how dangerous it is? For flies
in the house, I use a bug bat. You can't really catch bluebottles with it
as they are too fast, so I try to let them out but it's a brilliant device
for smaller flies and carpet moths (which I've been battling for 2 years)
It electrocutes them with a satisfying zizz.