Leatherjackets

A leatherjacket is the laval stage of the crane fly or daddy long-legs.
Leatherjackets feast on the roots of grass plants. Which is why they are not particularly welcomed by lawn lovers.

Between April and August, you will probably have no idea that there are leatherjackets in your lawn.
They remain underground, quietly chewing on the roots of your lawn.
However, they are tiny, so the amount they eat is easily replaced by a healthy grass plant. F
rom late April through to early June though, the beasts start to grow fast. And to do that they need to eat lots.

Your grass plants will be unable to re-grow their roots fast enough and so the plants will perish. You will see areas of yellowing grass.

When you tug on the blades, the plant will come away from the soil all too easily and there will be barely any root on the bottom of the plant.

Birds are another clue. If you having more birds picking than normal and they are all busy pecking at the lawn, there is a good chance they are eating the leatherjackets /grubs.

If you see this problem on your lawn, or you have friends with this problem, contact Greenfeet for natural control product that we can apply.