If the infestation is severe you may need to turn to biological organic or even chemical means of controlling leatherjacket larvae in your lawn.
Leather jacket lawn treatment.
They will have been in your lawn all winter.
Crane fly leatherjackets.
The leatherjackets won t have returned.
To kill the leatherjackets in your lawn you ll need to apply a product called nemasys leatherjacket killer.
After application you must wash in the nematodes by watering heavily by hose or by sprinkler.
To get rid of leatherjackets try using a nematode treatment that you can apply to affected areas after rain or a session with the sprinkler.
Leatherjackets may also be revealed in lawns by soaking with water and covering with material impervious to light such as black polythene.
Nematode treatment is an organic control and as such will rarely control 100 of the pests.
Natural control and killing of leatherjackets in lawn areas.
If the lawn was previously looking healthy and green then they will not have been doing much damage and the lawn was recovering quickly.
Crows magpies rooks and starlings will search for leatherjackets in turf.
It can only be used in the right conditions the soil temperature must be above 12 degrees so application is recommended between july and october.
An old method which works is to cover the lawn area with a black plastic sheet at night in damp conditions.
Nemasys leatherjacket killer should be applied to the lawn in april and or september.
Most lawns and gardens have a healthy number living in and around them without any discernible damage.
It contains microscopic worms called nematodes.
The lawn must be moist we recommend pre watering and apply on a dull day or in the evening.
If you see crane fly or leather jackets don t panic and go into extermination mode.
There is no point in trying to treat leatherjackets in the lawn until you are sure that they exist but you can try the system below from late summer.
Nematodes are natural and some will be in your lawn already but applying more ensures they kill the grubs.
The soil should also be moist so the nematodes can be at their most effective.
Another way to remove leather jackets from the lawn is to cover the area with a large black plastic sheet overnight.
This treatment may also be effective on very young grubs during april and may once the soil temperature is above 12 degrees.
Furthermore the soil must be moist in order for the nematodes to survive once applied.
Nematodes are microscopic worms and certain species predate the leatherjackets.
It is only the larvae that cause damage to your lawn and are a delicious treat for the local wildlife.
Biological control a beneficial nematode by the unwieldy name of steinememe feltiae is an effective means of leatherjacket grub control.
These worms actively prey on leatherjackets attacking them through openings in their bodies and infecting them with a fatal bacteria.