Gardeners told to put one item in garden to 'save lawn from leatherjackets'

Gardeners are being encouraged to use one simple item to "save their lawns" this summer. According to expert Ish, known as gardening.with.ish on , leatherjackets are becoming a problem for a lot of people this year. If you've never heard of them before, leatherjackets are the grey, legless larvae of crane flies, or daddy-longlegs. There are several species and they eat the roots of grasses and other plants; however, a lot of them feed on organic matter and algae too. They can also help to return nutrients to the soil. But, when they occur in big numbers, they can actually cause a lot of damage to lawns which can result in yellow and brown patches cropping up.

However, Ish said there's a simple method you can use to protect your grass from the pesky creatures. He claimed they are becoming a bit of an "epidemic", especially in new build gardens, but there are things you can do to prevent them causing you a problem.

The first thing you can try is using nematodes, but Ish said you need to make sure you do it correctly if you attempt this method. While they are harmless to humans, he said they are fatal to species like leatherjackets.

If you use them, he said you need to put them in a watering can or spray bottle with some warm water and then apply it to the soil. Around late afternoon is usually a good time to complete the task.

They should be gone in around a week or so once you've done this. However, he said you should repreat the process weekly for two to three weeks to ensure the problem is taken care of.

If the first option sounds a little bit too tricky for you, there's something else you can try too. Using a black plastic is a good way to go to remedy the issue.

He said all you need to do is lay it on your grass during the evening. If you let this sit fully covered, this will "trick the leatherjackets" into thinking it's night all the time.

As a result, when you lift the plastic up during the morning, they should then all be at the surface. The birds should get them but, if not, you can also pick them out yourself and dispose of them.

Ish encouraged people to do this a few times if they suffer with the problem. It may take a couple of weeks, but it should eventually get them under control.

These are two easy ways to help rid leatherjackets from your lawn, but he said neither option is an instant solution. He noted you will need patience as it can take two to three weeks to get the problem sorted.

Little you may know, the leatherjacket lifecycle is annual. They mate during late-summer, and female crane flies lay up to 300 eggs into the soil or turf. After a few weeks, these then hatch into grubs.

Later, they will feed on grass and plant roots from autumn through to summer. Generally, they tend to hibernate during the winter, which means lawn patches don't appear until summer.

Despite this, if the winter months are mild, the leatherjackets carry on eating and yellow and brown lawn patches can start to be seen. : "Found in the soil of lawns, leatherjackets are grey, tubular grubs up to 3cm long, with tough, leathery skin (hence the name 'leatherjacket').

"However the first sign of them is not likely to be the grubs themselves but the yellow and brown patches that develop on your lawn as a result of them eating the roots beneath the surface. If leatherjackets are the culprit, when you lift the affected turf you will find leatherjackets in the soil below.

"After feeding sufficiently, the grubs pupate in the soil and emerge as adult crane flies in late-summer, to mate and start the whole process again. When the adults emerge, the pupal case is often visible, sticking up above the lawn surface."