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 »
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 »
This week (September 2013) I have seen a great deal of crane fly larvae (tipulidae) emerging from lawns and taking flight, ready to clumsily annoy us when we least expect it. It seems that the very wet summer of 2012 meant that these gangly beasts largely escaped predation and had plenty of opportunity to lay thousands of eggs… Read More »