Leatherjacket Damage

If birds are pecking your lawn or wildlife digging in your lawn you could have Leatherjackets living in your lawn.

Leatherjackets (Tipula spp.) are the larvae of the Crane Fly (or Daddy long legs). They have an elongated tubular body and can grow up to 30mm in length, they are greyish brown in colour.

When the problem occurs

Usually around Autumn, they are injected into your lawn’s root zone by their mother. She might have decided that your lawn is going to supply the nourishment her growing young needs to survive.

The initial signs of a Leatherjacket infestation are bird and wild animal damage to the lawns surface. This normally takes place around February to October. The birds and animals are aware of the Leatherjackets in your lawn and they see them as a ready food supply. As the larvae develop their appetite increases and you will see signs of yellowing and dieback of the lawn where they have completely devoured the root system. You can test if the root system has been attacked by tugging at the grass if it moves easily away from the soil you can be sure the root system has been eaten.

When a Leatherjacket infestation occurs take action as the damage caused by Leatherjackets can destroy a lawn quickly.

If you suspect that your lawn is infested with Leatherjackets why not take advantage of the Lawnscience lawn review service. Our trained lawn professional will arrange a lawn review, they will identify the issue(s) and provide a costed solution. To take advantage of this opportunity just click on the orange Help Please button below.

Additional information is available at https://www.lawnscience.co.uk/leatherjacket-control/

Lawnscience supports the RHS by annual charitable donations