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Is There Something Eating Your Lawn?

Is There Something Eating Your Lawn?

Is your lawn looking a little worst for wear with dead patches of straw-like grass appearing in areas for no apparent reason. Leatherjacks are probably the cause and now is the time to spray.

Leatherjacks are the larval stage of crane flies, most commonly known as Daddy-Long-Legs. The larvae or grubs are greyish in colour without obvious heads and can be up to 45mm long. The damage they do is similar to that of the Chafer grubs with yellowing of lawns and killing of the turf roots. As this summer was so wet and warm they were quite active this season.

The grub can be found in greatest numbers in newly reseeded lawns, damp soils and heavier clays and they have an enormous appetite for those young roots of the lawn that you have been carefully nurturing over the summer months.

Leatherjacks are the larvae of an insect belonging to the family Tipulidae and are members of the true flies (order: Diptera).

Life Cycle

Late summer/early autumn
Adult Crane flies emerge from the soil to mate and each female then lay up to 300 eggs onto the lawn. Two weeks later the eggs hatch and the larvae ( Leatherjacks) begin feeding on the roots and stems just below the surface of the soil.

Winter
The larvae may remain dormant in the soil throughout the coldest months but they resume feeding when soil temperatures begin to increase in spring.

Late spring/early summer
Lawn damage becomes most noticeable as the larvae grow quickly and continue to eat steadily. They can grow up to 5cm (2inches) long.

June to August
The Leatherjacks become fully mature by June, becoming inactive and pupating in August just under the surface of the lawn to emerge as adult Crane Flies thus beginning the cycle again.

These root-chewing grubs can ruin your lawn. Even more damage can be caused by birds and wild animals when they probe and loosen the lawn to feed on them.

Control.
Up until recently there was just one product that was available in large quantities, perfect for those of us that had larger lawn but recently a new product is available for those of us with smaller lawns. This product Provado Lawn Grub Killer is very easy to use. There is no need to spray or buy special applicators. Simply mix in a watering can and water on. It must be applied on a dry calm day when the soil is slightly moist and children and pets need not be excluded from treated areas once dry.