BUG'S LIFE
I was horrified when the lawn on my new-build was turned into a bog – the culprit was a bug I’d never even heard of
Experts have shared their advice
MAINTAINING a pristine lawn can be tricky at the best of times, but one woman shared how hers was turned into a bog thanks to a bug she hadn't heard of.
Kerry shared how her new-build house’s beautiful garden became churned up thanks to leatherjackets.
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In a clip on her account, she showed how the lawn was water-logged and muddy.
Speaking of the reason behind the damage, Kerry explained: “Leatherjackets!! Never heard of them before.”
The lesser-known critters are essentially babies of daddy long legs, which thrive in damp environments.
They tend to be around 30mm long and have greyish-brown bodies and no legs.
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And Kerry shared how she found them in abundance in her garden, showing off a bucket full of them.
She continued: “The ones in the bucket were just some that I picked up this morning from crawling onto the patio.
“Dread to think how many are in the soil.
“Makes my skin itch.”
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Garden experts Thompson and Morgan said of the bugs: "Leatherjackets are the soil-dwelling larvae of crane-fly (daddy long legs).
"They can be found growing underneath lawns, feeding on grass roots until they pupate and emerge as crane flies between August and October, then they lay the next generation of leatherjackets.”
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The pesky bugs also thrive in damp conditions and the larvae will continue to feed throughout the year, resulting in even more damage to your lawn.
Experts from shared how newly-laid turf is particularly susceptible to Leatherjackets.
They explained: “It is not unusual for recently laid turf to suffer from Leather Jacket infestation, especially in the first year or two since it was laid.
“This can be very frustrating when so much time and expense has been invested into a new lawn.
What are leatherjackets?
"LEATHERJACKETS are the soil-dwelling larvae of crane-fly (daddy long legs),
So, how do you recognise them? Well, they tend to be around 30mm long and have greyish-brown bodies and no legs.
"They can be found growing underneath lawns, feeding on grass roots until they pupate and emerge as crane flies between August and October, then they lay the next generation of leatherjackets," the experts continue.
The pesky bugs also thrive in damp conditions and the larvae will continue to feed throughout the year, resulting in even more damage to your lawn.
Signs of leatherjacket damage
- Yellow or brown dead patches in your grass
- Found in the surface layers of the soil beneath your lawn
- As they turn into adult crane flies, they'll emerge in the summer and empty pupal cases that'll stick up above the lawn surface
- Birds may create small holes in your grass as they try and hunt around for leatherjackets
“In our experience we find that the Crane Fly prefers to lay their eggs on fresh healthy grass which will give them the best chance of successful reproduction, this is particularly noticeable in the shady/damper areas of the lawn.”
But how do you get rid of them?
Kerry shared how she had used nematodes, which are microscopic creatures that act as parasites on other insects
Another way Lawntech advises you remove the grubs is by adding black plastic sheeting to your lawn.
They explained: “Where possible try to eliminate the grubs from the lawn before they cause any more damage.
“The most effective solution is to either cover the whole lawn (or just the affected area) overnight with black plastic sheeting – this encourages the grubs to come to the surface so they can be brushed off and destroyed.”
You can also fork over the soil to help birds eat them.
Kerry’s video has racked up over 21,000 likes and people were quick to sympathise with her.
One said: “Exactly what my new builds grass looks like right now. Already been replaced by them once and waiting on them doing it a second time this month.”
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Another added: “Wow! Thanks for this. I had no idea why my grass did the exact same thing as yours!”
A third commented: “I had this I complained so much now they dug it up and gave me fake grass.”
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