Leatherjackets are the larvae of crane flies, often referred to as daddy-long-legs. In the late summer and early autumn, eggs laid by crane flies in the soil hatch and leatherjackets emerge, ready to start munching their way through your lawn.
Leatherjackets are more easily identified in the autumn months, and this is also the most efficient time to treat a leatherjacket infestation.
Due to their small size and colouring, leatherjackets can be hard to identify. If you’ve found your way to this blog, you’re probably wondering what leatherjackets look like. So, let’s get into it!
How to Identify Leatherjackets
Leatherjackets look different in different phases of their life. When fully grown, they become crane flies, a winged insect with a brown, slender body and legs.
When still in their larvae phase, leatherjackets have long tubular bodies, and are a dark brown colour. They can grow up to 30mm in length, and they have no distinct legs, wings, or head.
It’s possible to identify a leatherjacket infestation without finding any larvae by evaluating the condition of your lawn. The symptoms of a leatherjacket infestation include yellow or brown patches on your grass. Leatherjacket larvae crawl through your soil and eat away the roots of grass and other plants, causing this discolouration and death.
There are many different things that can cause discolouration in your lawn, so one way to confirm that you do in fact have a leatherjacket infestation is to dig up a clump of soil from the affected area and see if you can spot leatherjackets in the turf.
Due to their small size and brown colouring, leatherjackets can be very difficult to identify. If you suspect that you may have a leatherjacket infestation but aren’t sure, why not utilise the FREE lawn surveys offered by Lawn & Weed Expert? One of our lawn care professionals will survey your property and let you know whether or not you have a leatherjacket presence in your lawn.
Free Lawn Survey
If you do find yourself with leatherjackets in your lawn, Lawn & Weed Expert offer first class leatherjacket removal services. To find out more about our leatherjacket removal services and how we can help you, check out the informational page on our website.
Leatherjacket Removal Services
Read More: How to Get Rid of Leatherjackets
