Maybe poke around and see if there are rotted peas in the soil - or other clues.

Meanwhile outlets will have pre-started pea plants for sale in small pots at this time.

Maybe try pre-sprouting them indoors first, so they'll get a head start. I soak them for a few hours (or overnight) until they plump, then drain them. I rinse and drain them every 12 hours or so (1 or 2 more times- they're fast germinators), just enough that they've sprouted a "tail", then I put them in the ground.

When I did this in March, they still took a while to come up, but when I've done it other years (presumably when it was a little warmer) they popped up in just a few days.

I pre-sprout mine, too. I just fold them into a damp paper towel in a plastic bag, seal it up, and put it in the fridge for a week or so.

I have had crows eat the sprouts, though. So I usually put some chicken wire or sticks over them until they are bigger.

Mice and squirrels eat mine before they sprout so now I cover them with agribon row cover till they're a few inches tall.

Thanks, now that it has warmed up I think I'll pre-sprout them and pop them into the ground...again. Our soil is quite clay so I think they just rotted. I even covered them with mesh to make sure no critters ate them so they must have rotted. Appreciate the responses.

You need to take a look under the soil and see what you can learn. They may have been plundered by birds, which would explain nothing being left behind. They may have rotted. The problem I've had is with millipedes eating the starchy seeds, even with pre-sprouting. Don't believe anyone who says they won't, I have photographic evidence. I was able to establish a second sewing by brushing the first peas aside, millipedes and all, and simply started a new row while the millipedes were busy with the old seeds. Once plants are started they are much less vulnerable.

Millipedes being on them eating them when you check is definitely one of those other clues I mentioned!

Well they definitely all disappeared. I had covered the row with some loose plastic mesh to make sure the birds didn't get them so they were either eaten by insects or just plain rotted. I have my 3rd try in now, sort of pre-sprouted in a paper towel and I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will grow. Fresh peas eaten in the garden is one of my guilty pleasures. I have been known to steal peas from other people's garden...

They're up! At least poking through the soil 5 days later. I bought new seeds, perhaps the ones I bought earlier were last year's and no good. Or it was just too cold and they rotted. The sun is shining and I am anticipating picking and eating the little darlings fresh from the garden. They're the best!