Lawn Pests

Chafer Grubs

Adult chafers are medium-sized reddish brown beetles, called May Beetles. However it's the grub stage that causes damage by eating the roots of the grass. Then birds, foxes or badgers will all do extensive damage trying to get at the grubs.

These can be tackled by spraying nematodes, tiny parasitic worms that attack the grubs.

Leather Jackets

These are the larvae grub of the crane fly. They feed on the roots of grasses and can do substantial damage if found in great numbers.

Initial signs are a thinning and yellowing of the sward. Also if the lawn is getting a lot of attention from birds, especially starlings, leatherjackets could be present.

Most damage is done from October to April. August/September sees the adult crane fly (daddy longlegs) emerge, they lay their eggs to start the process all over again.