Tag Archives: Crane Fly

The Crane Fly is the adult for of the leatherjacket grub. They are also called daddy-long-legs and look like giant mosquitoes! These grubs are one of the main pests of UK lawns.

Crane fly grubs in lawns

In August, the adult crane flies mate and lay eggs in the soil. These eggs hatch and the grubs eat their way through the roots of the soil over the next few months. The result of this munching can be very damaging to lawns in the UK.

Find out more about crane flies, their larvae and the damage which they can do to a lawn in these following blog pages.

Video: Digging for leatherjackets in a lawn

The winter of 2018-2019 saw a large number of lawns devastated by leatherjackets. These grubs live in the soil, just under the surface of a lawn. They are the larval stage of crane flies (tipulidae). Eggs laid by the adults in the summer months. They hatch and the grubs then spend the winter days munching through grass plants,… Read More »

Leatherjacket Lawn Pests – The Complete Guide

Updated: October 2020 Download my leatherjacket fact sheet This is a summary PDF of this blog post in an easy to see, printable format. What are leatherjackets? A leatherjacket is the common name for the larval stage of an insect called a crane fly. They are in the Tipulidae family of insects. In the UK, two species of… Read More »

Leatherjacket grubs can destroy your lawn!

A updated post (April 2020) for leatherjackets has been published here. Leatherjackets are one of the most devastating lawn pests found in the UK, literally eating their way through an entire lawn. A severe leatherjacket attack will mean that your lawn has to be entirely replaced … which could cost thousands! Read on to learn how to spot… Read More »