Advice needed: Keeping mice from sweet pea seeds

Penny92

I'm trying (again!) to start sweet pea seeds but mice always seem to find them either in the potting shed or in the greenhouse. Should I just start them inside in the coldest room? How do you keep mice at bay?

fidgetbones

Mouse traps.  I put a propagator lid on, and the little buggers still get under. I have had trays full  of germinated sweet peas stripped down to leave bit of green stems.  Mouse traps the only way if they are in a greenhouse or somewhere else that they can get in.

Blue Onion

Soaking in liquid paraffin? https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=122674.0 I've never tried it, but the link takes you to an experiment someone did with garden peas.. and kerosene.  

Fairygirl

You could start them inside and once germinated and growing a little, get them outdoors in your greenhouse, but not cossetted over winter. They just need protection from the worst winter weather. They don't tend to touch them once they've sprouted.
The mice in my garden can access the bird food, so they don't bother with the sweet pea seeds. 

Busy-Lizzie

My mother always soaked all pea seeds with paraffin and it worked.

Penny92

Wow! Parafin/kerosene! Who knew!? 

I'll give it a go. Thanks!

gardworldthrowaway

You can just germinate them inside then put them out when shoots start appearing.

The mice won't touch them at that stage and they can go out.

Fairygirl

Bit late @gardworldthrowaway - already said  

gardworldthrowaway

 is that a problem? If it deters OP from faffing needlessly with kerosene, so much the better.

Fairygirl

No, of course not - but the same advice was already given earlier   

natalien

Sarah Raven swears by chili flakes. 
I start my sweet peas on Boxing Day and it's a good time when many of the little garden creatures are hibernating away from the cold.