Pest Control
- Leatherjackets
- Chafer Grubs
- Slug Control
- Ant Control
Leatherjackets and Leatherjacket killerLeatherjackets will now begin to pupate and their pupa casings will prevent Leatherjacket Killer Nematodes from attacking them. The next time the Nematodes will be effective is in September, when the Crane Fly have laid their eggs into the lawn and the new Leatherjackets have hatched. Please read on for more information about Leatherjackets and how Nematodes are a safe and effective treatment for them. We hear a lot about global warming and the effects it might have. Even relatively small rises in average temperatures can mean the difference between success or failure for certain species. And the recent warm, damp autumns and winters have certainly favoured leatherjackets. So it's important to be on the lookout for daddy-long-legs from late August and be prepared to act. Your lawn is at risk if the follwing apply: You see large numbers of daddy-long-legs on your lawn. You have suffered damage from leatherjackets in the past. Your lawn is thin and patchy.
If these conditions occur, apply Leatherjacket Killer at any time from late August to the end of October. Buy Leatherjacket Killer here Survey reveals high Leatherjacket numbers An autumn 2007 survey revealed that leatherjacket numbers were again high and lawn owners, particularly in the south of the country, should anticipate risk of damage by leatherjackets. Although average leatherjacket numbers were down on 2005 levels at 97.1 per m2 they were still significantly higher than the long term average of 69.7 for all survey sites in the period 1992-2006. Regionally, average numbers of leatherjackets have fallen in the Midlands and north but in the southern region they are 28% higher than in 2005 and the highest since 2001. Adequate soil moisture in the autumn is critical for the survival of cranefly eggs and newly hatched leatherjacket larvae. All counties experienced heavier than average rainfall in late August, and apart from a warm dry week ending 12 September 2006, the weather in autumn 2006 has been conducive to egg and young larvae survival. "We have been routinely monitoring leatherjacket numbers, via an independent organisation, since 1992," explains Andy Cawley, Sales and Marketing Manager, Dow AgroServices. "Monitoring helps groundsmen and lawn owners plan control measures against leatherjacket damage. It certainly helped alert them in 2006 when 2005 survey figures revealed exceptionally high numbers of leatherjackets in the soil." Buy Leatherjacket Killer here
All About Leatherjackets 
Leatherjackets are the larvae of the Crane fly, more commonly know as Daddy Long Legs. Crane flies emerge from their pupa casings from late July through August, at which time they mate and lay their eggs within 3 weeks. These eggs mature quickly, hatching into leatherjacket larvae through August and September. Although the damage may not be too apparent at first these larvae will immediately start feeding on grass roots. As temperatures drop going into the winter the larvae will reduce their feeding and wait for the warmer spring weather to arrive. It is at this time that the damage will start to become apparent with turf turning yellow in patches and thinning out. By the end of May the larvae start to pupate and then hatch as adults in July / August and the Daddy Long Legs will emerge again for the cycle to continue.
There are several methods to see if you have leatherjackets in your lawn. Firstly you may notice starlings, crows and even foxes in bad cases pecking or scratching your lawn. This behaviour will help you pinpoint bad patches in your lawn allowing you to go in for a closer look.
Take a spade and dig approximately 1 -2 inches into the soil. If leatherjackets are there they will be in amongst the turf mat or just below it. During the night they can come up to the surface and feed on the succulent crowns of turf grasses causing maximum damage. On some mornings with heavy dews they can be seen crawling on the turf.
If this doesn't work then mix some lemon washing up liquid in a bowl of water and tip it out onto approximately 1m2. The washing up liquid has a suffocating effect on soil organisms, forcing them to the surface.
Some people try the following method to reduce leatherjacket numbers. Take a large black polythene sheet and place it over the suspected infestation. Leave the cover on overnight. In the morning peal back the cover a little at a time and collect the leatherjackets as you go. This will work best on warm nights from May to early June when the leatherjackets will be at their largest, fattening themselves up ready for pupating. However, by then much of the damage has already been done. This is not a reliable method of eradicating leatherjackets.
The control of leatherjackets has been made harder by the ban of certain pesticides that are harmful to the environment. There are lots of natural predators of the leatherjacket such as starlings and even mites but the sheer number of larvae is often overwhelming. The best method of control is to use nematodes to kill them when they are at their weakest, which is when the eggs have just hatched into larvae around September/October. The great thing about nematodes is that they are completely safe to humans and animals. One new pesticide on the market today, advertised for use on leatherjackets, contains the active ingredient imidachlorprid which is harmful to bees. Bees have an extremely important role to play in food production and plant growth, and with native species constantly under threat from parasites and other predators, it's important not to make life any harder for the bee. It's a shame that pesticides are promoted which are harmful to insects, when nematodes do an equally good job without causing any environmental damage. Buy Leatherjacket Killer here See also Pest Control under Lawn Care Advice Nematodes are a very effective form of biological control. Click here for information on Leatherjacket Killer from Turfshop. Chafer GrubsTurfshop’s Chafer Grub Killer should be used between July and October when the soil is above 10°C. To order Chafer Grub Killer click here.
Chafer Grubs are the larvae (grub) of Chafer Beetles. They live just beneath the surface of lawns feeding on the roots of the grass plants. In removing the roots, the chafer grub leaves a tell-tale sign of its existence by causing small areas of the lawn (the size of a £2 coin up to that of a small tea plate) to begin to brown off and die, making the grass very easy to pull up. Another, more destructive sign most people notice is birds and often moles and foxes peck at the lawn to get at the grubs.
Chafer grubs are often confused with Leatherjackets, and accurate identification is important to ensure the correct treatment is used. If you find an area you suspect is suffering due to Chafer Grubs, gently pull up and peel back the effected grass, and dig no more than a couple of cm into the soil. You should find the grub within this depth of the surface. It is possible that the grub has moved or been eaten by an animal so try a few of the affected areas. The key difference between a Chafer and a Leatherjacket is that Chafers have legs close to the red head. See the images on the product pages of both the Leatherjacket and Chafer Grub Killers to compare.
It is important to treat your lawn with Chafer Grub killer to prevent further damage and ongoing infestation. Untreated the problem will get worse as the population increases, so it is always best to treat as soon as you notice the grubs.
Turfshop’s Chafer Grub Killer is safe to use around children and pets and contains no chemicals so is safe to the environment. As a biological control it is incredibly effective and will continue to exist in your lawn as long as there are Chafer Grubs there to kill. Slug ControlTurfshop’s Slug Killer should be used between April and October when soil temperatures are above 5°C. To order Slug Killer click here.
There are many different species of slug found in Britain, most can be found in the garden. Slugs normally eat rotting vegetation, however their diet can also include leaves, stems, roots and tubers of many other plants. This is particularly damaging when plants are at there juvenile stage.
There are many different suggestions for the best way to treat slugs in your garden. You could leave them to birds and other predators but that isn’t always reliable. You could use chemical pellets but this has an environmental impact as the poisons enter the food chain.
The best solutions is to use Turfshop’s biological control. It is safe to use around children and pets, it has no ill effect on the environment (predators that eat slugs killed using Nemaslug will not be harmed) and it ensures a reduction in the number of slugs over a very short time period. Ant ControlTurfshop’s Ant Control should be used between April and October when the soil temperature is above 10°C. To order Ant Killer click here.
Ants cause a number of problems in the Garden, particularly in lawns, where they create holes, and cause unattractive brown patches. Ants can also create mounds of dirt as they excavate under the lawn. This not only smothers areas of grass and creates an uneven lawn but can also blunt the lawn mowers blades.
Turfshop’s biological Ant Killer is safe to use around children and pets and does not damage the environment. The nematodes within Ant Killer will search out ants within the soil and attack them by entering through natural openings. They will prevent the ant from feeding, causing it to die. The nematodes then reproduce within the carcass, sending out even more to track down other ants. This ensures that as many ants as possible are killed whilst the nematodes are in the soil.
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