something in the soil is eating my peas before they sprout

I blame the little mice , Judith .
They had my sweet pea seedlings in the greenhouse .

There is nothing you can spray to keep mice away Judith, try growing your peas in pots and transplanting them into the ground when they are a few inches in height.

This is a common problem. In times
gone past people used to roll pea seeds in red lead powder or paraffin oil. I think you need something to mask the smell of the pea seeds from the field mice so how about some powdered moth balls (naphthalene) lightly sprinkled in the drills or small pieces of rag or tissue soaked in Obas Oil?

I always start off peas in cells and transplant when big enough. It gives them a head start.

Yes, I used to grow them in guttering and then transplant them. Didn't lose any.