Leather Jackets

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 Leather jackets are the larvae of crane flies (commonly known as daddy longlegs). These soil‑dwelling grubs are notorious among UK gardeners for the damage they inflict on lawns. Unfortunately for lawn lovers Leather jackets are one of the most persistent lawn pests.

• Leather jackets are the immature stage of crane flies.
• They hatch from eggs laid in the soil during late summer and early autumn.
• The larvae are brownish‑grey, tough‑skinned, and worm‑like, hence the name “leather jacket.”
• They remain underground through winter and feed actively in spring.
• Crane flys tend to stay in the same area to lay their eggs so even once they’ve transformed to crane flys it’s unlikely that, that’s the end of your problems

Leather Jackets feed on the roots and stems of grass plants, weakening turf from below. Their impact can be dramatic:

• Patchy, yellowing grass: As roots are eaten, grass loses its ability to absorb water and nutrients.
• Bare patches: Severe infestations can leave lawns with large areas of dead turf.
• Secondary damage: Birds such as starlings and crows often peck at lawns to dig out the larvae, worsening the mess.
• In the UK, mild winters allow leather jackets to survive in large numbers, making them a recurring problem for homeowners and groundskeepers. 

 They estimate that you need around 50 leather jackets per square meter to cause permanent damage to a healthy strong lawn but here are some of the signs you should be looking for

Lawn care enthusiasts should watch for:

• Sudden thinning or browning of grass in spring. This can be due to winter Die back especially if your lawn consists of Rye Grass.
• Holes around the damaged areas that aren’t accompanied by wormcasts
• Increased bird activity or activity from other wildlife such as badgers, foxes or hedgehogs.
• Visible grubs when lifting turf or digging shallowly into the soil.

Controlling leather jackets requires persistence and timing:

• Biological control: Nematodes (microscopic worms) can be applied to lawns in autumn. They infect and kill leather jacket larvae naturally.
• Cultural practices: Aerating soil, overseeding, and maintaining healthy turf can reduce vulnerability.
• Patience: Damage often looks worse before recovery begins. With proper care, lawns can bounce back.
• Chemical insecticides in the form of Acelepryn are now available in the UK but are only available to professionals anf very expensive.
• UV - One mthod used is by placing a black sheet over the lawn but not removing it until late morning. This tricks leather jackets into thinking its still night when they come out of the ground. They usually return into the ground before the sun comes out and kills them. If you remove the sheet when the sun is already out the UV will kill them or birds will eat them
• Other Methods - A Granular product called predator Turf which consists of Wolf urine and higly concentrated Garlic forces the leather jackets out of the ground again during the day where they either die due to the UV or are eaten by Birds.
• PH Levels - like many insects leather jackets do not like acidic soil and its recommended that you keey your soil around 6.5. 

The biggest issue with combating leather jackets is when to apply the treatments. Nematodes shouldn't be applied over the winter, they should be applied as a double dose in the spring or a single dose in the autumn.  The applications of acelepryn are usually recommended at the same stages. Late summer they are usually in a cacoon state. In colder weather they are deeper in the soil.