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Lawn Pest Alert: How to Spot and Stop Leatherjackets This September

Gardeners are being urged to act this September to prevent leatherjacket larvae from damaging lawns, as the hidden pests feed on grass roots and cause brown patches. The RHS and Nemasys explain how to identify them and recommend a chemical-free biological treatment.

By Tertius News AI Desk 3 distinct · 3 mastheads · 3 articles Version 1 Coverage Sep 1, 2026 Published 58m ago

A Hidden Cause of Brown Lawns

As the UK recovers from a record-breaking summer of heatwaves and limited rainfall, many gardeners are noticing brown and yellow patches in their lawns. While dry weather and compacted soil have been common problems, experts point to another potential culprit that most people have never heard of: leatherjackets.

Leatherjackets are the larvae of crane flies, more commonly known as daddy long legs. While the adult insects are harmless, they lay their eggs in lawns during late summer, with the larvae emerging shortly afterwards. Once beneath the soil surface, the larvae begin feeding on the roots and lower stems of grass plants. Hidden underground, they can go unnoticed for weeks while gradually undermining the lawn from below, reports the Daily Express.

According to the Liverpool Echo, this hidden pest could be wreaking havoc on lawns, and taking preventative measures now in September can prevent widespread damage before it's too late. The South Wales Echo similarly notes that acting early is crucial, as prevention is more effective than repairing damaged turf later.

Identifying Leatherjackets

For gardeners wondering whether leatherjackets are the cause of their lawn troubles, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offers a simple detection method. As quoted by the Daily Express, RHS advice states: "Leatherjackets may be revealed in lawns by soaking with water and covering with material impervious to light, such as black polythene. The following day if leatherjackets are the problem, large numbers of grubs should be found on the lawn surface under the cover."

The presence of birds or animals digging in the grass can also be a clue. According to RHS guidance cited in the Daily Express, birds such as crows, magpies, rooks and starlings, as well as badgers, will persistently hunt for leatherjackets in the grass, potentially creating small holes in the lawn as they feed.

The Case for Early Action

The timing of any treatment is critical. As temperatures cool and rainfall becomes more dependable, lawns have a chance to recover from summer stress, but autumn also marks the arrival of this pest. Nemasys, an organic pest control company, advises that preventing damage is far easier than repairing it. By the time a lawn shows obvious signs of leatherjacket damage, much of the feeding has already taken place, making prevention more effective than cure, the South Wales Echo reports.

Applying a biological control now, in September, can stop the larvae before they cause substantial root damage. This approach is recommended by both the RHS and Nemasys as a chemical-free solution.

A Chemical-Free Treatment

Instead of relying on chemical pesticides, Nemasys recommends using naturally occurring beneficial nematodes. As explained by Nemasys experts, quoted in the Daily Express: "Rather than relying on chemical pesticides, using naturally occurring beneficial nematodes... entering the grubs and stopping them from feeding before they can cause further damage."

The RHS confirms that biological control is available for leatherjackets in lawns, flower beds and vegetable plots. These pathogenic nematodes are watered into the turf or soil, where they enter the bodies of leatherjackets and infect them with a bacterial disease.

For the treatment to work effectively, the soil must be kept well-drained but moist, with a minimum temperature of 12°C. Nematodes should be applied between September and early October as a preventative measure, according to RHS guidance reported in the South Wales Echo.

Protecting Your Lawn's Health

By taking action this month, gardeners can safeguard their lawns throughout autumn and beyond. The combination of identifying the problem early and applying the recommended biological control offers the best chance of avoiding the patchy, thin and vulnerable lawns that leatherjackets can leave behind.

As the weather begins to ease, now is the time to give lawns the opportunity to recover — and to stop a hidden pest from causing further damage.

How each outlet told it

A framing line is our reading of that outlet's own text — an interpretation, not a quotation and not a fact we assert. Check it against what the outlet published.

Daily Express

Framing: highlights a hidden garden pest as the potential cause behind brown lawn patches — informative and mildly urgent, emphasizing the need for early preventative action

as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC

Facts Included:

Leatherjackets are the larvae of crane flies, more famously known as daddy long legs.
The adult insects deposit their eggs in lawns during late summer, with the larvae emerging shortly thereafter.
Leatherjackets start feeding on the roots and lower stems of grass plants below the soil surface.
RHS advice states: "Leatherjackets may be revealed in lawns by soaking with water and covering with material impervious to light, such as black polythene. The following day if leatherjackets are the problem, large numbers of grubs should be found on the lawn surface under the cover."
Birds such as crows, magpies, rooks and starlings, badgers, and other creatures will persistently hunt for leatherjackets in grass.
RHS guidance recommends: "Biological control is available for controlling leatherjackets in lawns, flower beds and vegetable plots. These are pathogenic nematodes, which are watered into the turf or soil. The nematodes enter the bodies of leatherjackets and infect them with a bacterial disease."
Nemasys experts further explains: "Rather than relying on chemical pesticides, using naturally occurring beneficial nematodes... entering the grubs and stopping them from feeding before they can cause further damage."
Taking preventative action now in September can stop widespread damage to lawns before it's too late.
Catching the problem early offers the opportunity to protect and safeguard your lawn before substantial root damage develops.

Read the source article →

Liverpool Echo

Framing: Urges immediate action against a hidden lawn pest to prevent brown patches on grass — Urgent and advisory, warning about a destructive pest while offering a solution

as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC

Facts Included:

A relatively little-known hidden garden pest could be wreaking havoc on your lawn
the brown and yellow patches of dead grass - act now in September to prevent major damage
Leatherjackets are the larvae of crane flies, more commonly known as daddy long legs
they lay their eggs in lawns during late summer, with the larvae surfacing shortly afterwards
leatherjackets begin eating the roots and lower stems of grass plants
taking preventative measures now in September can prevent widespread damage to lawns before it's too late
Guidance from the RHS, along with specialists at organic pest control company Nemasys, has set out precisely how to identify leatherjackets, why timing is absolutely critical, and how a straightforward, chemical-free treatment can safeguard your lawn's health throughout autumn and beyond

Read the source article →

South Wales Echo

Framing: Encourages readers to protect their lawns from a lesser-known garden pest, framing the issue as a problem with an available solution.

as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:16 AM UTC

Facts Included:

Leatherjackets are the larvae of crane flies, more commonly known as daddy long legs.
Leatherjackets consume the roots and lower stems of grass plants.
RHS guidance advises soaking the lawn and covering it with black polythene to reveal leatherjackets.
Birds such as crows, magpies, rooks, and starlings, as well as badgers, are attracted to leatherjackets and may create small holes in lawns.
RHS guidance recommends biological controls using pathogenic nematodes that infect leatherjackets with a bacterial disease.
Nematodes should be applied between September and early October as a preventative measure.
Nemasys experts warn that prevention is more effective than repairing damaged turf later.

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

AI-extracted; can misattribute a claim — see Methodology.

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status is Contested when two claims on this page negate each other; otherwise it counts the distinct outlets we found asserting that specific claim — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimLeatherjackets are the larvae of crane flies, more commonly known as daddy long legs.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimAdult crane flies lay eggs in lawns during late summer, with larvae emerging shortly afterwards.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimLeatherjackets feed on the roots and lower stems of grass plants below the soil surface.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimTaking preventative action now in September can prevent widespread lawn damage before it's too late.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimRHS advice states: Leatherjackets may be revealed in lawns by soaking with water and covering with material impervious to light, such as black polythene; the following day if leatherjackets are the problem, large numbers of grubs should be found on the lawn surface under the cover.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimBirds such as crows, magpies, rooks and starlings, as well as badgers, will dig into lawns hunting for leatherjackets.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimRHS guidance recommends biological control for leatherjackets in lawns, flower beds and vegetable plots, which is watered into the turf or soil.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimNematodes should be applied now, in September, as a preventative measure and require a minimum soil temperature of 12°C, with the soil kept well drained but moist.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimBy the time a lawn shows obvious signs of leatherjacket damage, much of the feeding has already taken place, making prevention more effective than repair.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimTaking preventative measures against leatherjackets in September can prevent widespread damage to lawns before it is too late.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC
ClaimFor the biological control to be effective, the soil must be well-drained and moist, with a minimum temperature of 12°C.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Daily Express as of Sep 1, 2026, 7:15 AM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

3 distinct · 3 mastheads · 3 articles consulted: Daily Express, Liverpool Echo, South Wales Echo 11 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-09-01