Newbuild owners show before & after of ‘garden nightmare' that went from green & fluffy to muddy pit after pest invasion

The Sun

26-06-2025

A NEWBUILD homeowner has shared a shocking before and after look at her 'garden 'nightmare'.
Charley Mary, a mother from the UK, explained that when she and her man moved into their newbuild property, the grass in their garden was perfect.
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But, before long, a horrifying pest invasion turned the luscious lawn into a muddy pit.
Posting on social media, the content creator shared a close-up look at her garden 's downfall, leaving many totally stunned.
Alongside the short clip of her 'garden nightmare', the savvy mum begged: 'Send help.'
At the start of the video, viewers saw Charley's garden shortly after she and her partner moved in.
She wrote: 'What it looked like before…so fluffy and green.'
But moments later, alongside a crying emoji, Charley added: 'Then the leatherjackets came …and now this is what it looks like.'
The stunning grass was practically nowhere to be seen, with her garden merely soil with a few patches of sparse grass.
What are leatherjackets?
As recently reported by Fabulous, Ben Agnew, a grass expert at Lawnsmith, warned gardening gurus to be on the lookout for signs of leatherjackets - a common pest that destroys grass from the roots up.
The gardening pro said: "Although small, these grubs can be a nightmare for your lawn.
'An infestation can undo all the hard work you've put in and leave you with nothing.
Nature's Defenses: Organic Solutions to Garden Pest Problems
"They thrive by eating the roots of grass and plants, killing their food source as they go.
'As they exist under the surface of your lawn, the first sign of an issue is your lawn dying, leaving yellow patches that then turn brown.
'The damp, wet conditions experienced in the UK during winter create the perfect environment for the eggs to hatch into leatherjackets."
Common garden pests
Common pests in the garden don't need to be a cause for alarm. If you can identify them, you can work on getting rid of them and preventing them from returning.
Aphids (Greenfly, Blackfly)
Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth. They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap.
Whitefly
These small white-winged insects are related to aphids, at just 1 or 2 mm in length, and look very much like white moths as adults. They can be found on the underside of leaves, preferring younger, fresher leaves. They fly in clusters when you disturb them. Their lifecycle is only three weeks long, which means an infestation can occur very rapidly.
Slugs
An unmissable, squashy-looking body plus small sensory tentacles on its head. Slugs move along on one muscular foot. They range in scale from surprisingly small to terrifyingly large; limax cinereoniger species can grow comfortably beyond 20 cm in length.
Cabbage Moth Caterpillar
Cabbage moth caterpillars happily make their way into the heart of the vegetables, The caterpillars are distinguished in shades of yellow or browny green with no hair.
Mealy Bug
Mealybugs are tiny oval-shaped insects that have a white, powdery wax coating. There are several different species, many of which have what looks like legs coming from their sides and back end. In their earliest stage of life, it's entirely possible to mistake them for fungus and not recognise them as insects at all.
Leatherjackets are legless grubs with tough, leathery skin.
They are typically grey or brown in colour and can grow up to three cm in length.
For those looking to take action to avoid maximum damage, Ben advised: "Prevention is easier than the cure for a leatherjacket infestation.
'Effective treatment comes in the form of microscopic bacterial worms, called nematodes, specifically 'Steinernema feltiae'.
"Nematodes get rid of leatherjackets by infiltrating their outer casing and subsequently killing them.
"Leatherjackets can cause considerable damage, and even after treatment, it can be challenging to restore your lawn to its former state.
'It can take your garden some time to return to its former glory."
Additionally, Ben recommended: " Aerating your lawn can help improve drainage. To do this, simply create holes in the turf to allow it to breathe and encourage water to disperse.'
Tips for keeping pests from your garden
Plant companion plants such as peppermint to repel rats.
Place Garden Netting Pest Barrier, over your flowerbeds.
Fill open-top containers with beer and place in soil to repel slugs.
Spray plants with Neem Oil, to repel ants, flies, and spiders.
Dust your flowerbeds with Diatomaceous Earth.
Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap, 10 drops peppermint oil, and 4 cups water and spray on flowerbeds.
Place eggshells around your plants to protect from slugs and snails.
Not only this, but Ben also acknowledged that heavily shaded gardens can also suffer, so removing thick branches of overhanging trees and bushes can help more sunlight reach the turf.
Ben also stressed: "Some soils are better than others for drainage. For example, nutrient-dense clay soils can make gardens more prone to flooding.
'If you often see water pooling in your garden, investigate the type of soil so you know how to nurture the lawn correctly."
Social media users react
Charley's TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @ charleymaryy, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly gone viral and racked up 9.9 million views.
Not only this, but it's also amassed 482,700 likes, 2,722 comments and 19,000 saves.
Social media users were gobsmacked at the garden nightmare and many eagerly flocked to the comments to share their thoughts.
Not only this, but other newbuild homeowners also confessed that they too have experienced the same issue with their grass.
One person said: 'Reason why I would never buy a new build number 10287399.'
Another added: 'We have the same. Heard it's a mixture of clay soil, lack of drainage, not enough topsoil, no vegetation and non stop rain.'
Alongside shocked face emojis, a third simply commented: 'Brutal.'
Meanwhile, another homeowner shared: 'The EXACT same thing has happened to all the gardens on my estate too.'
Not only this, but someone else claimed: 'It seems like every new build has this problem.'