Latest news with #leatherjackets
The Sun
26-06-2025
- General
- The Sun
Newbuild owners show before & after of ‘garden nightmare' that went from green & fluffy to muddy pit after pest invasion
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. 3 3 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.'
The Sun
08-06-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
My grass was ruined from leatherjackets bugs – a 10p kitchen hack got rid of them overnight & now my lawn is green again
A NIGHTMARE pest is wreaking havoc on gardens across the UK and could be ruining your lawn. But a simple 10p kitchen hack can get rid of the pesky critters overnight and get your lawn looking lush again. 2 2 Leatherjackets are the larvae of the crane fly (daddy long-legs) and live just beneath the surface of the lawn before emerging as adult flies. They're legless grubs with tough, leathery skin and can grow up to 3cm in length. And experts say that infestations are rife this year. Although harmless to humans and pets, these pests can quickly turn your green grass into sparse, brown patches. This is because they damage the roots of your grass, causing it to die on the surface. New build homes and gardens are being hit hard in particular due to the leatherjackets' love of new turf. But the Gardening on a Budget Official Facebook group has provided a genius and budget-friendly solution. Commenting on a user's worse for wear garden, expert Suzanne recommended throwing slices of bread on the lawn. She said: "Throw several whole slices of bread on the lawn. "Then the starlings will come down and feast on the leatherjackets (works for me!)." 5 lawn mowing tips to get good grass this summer All effective pesticides to treat such pests have been banned in the UK since 2016. But there are other methods to tackle the leatherjackets and restore your lawn, according to Matthew Martin from nematode producer Nemasys. Martin told the Express: "To encourage them off the lawn, you can saturate the grass with black sacks or tarpaulin overnight. "In the morning, the grubs will have risen to the surface and will be easy to see." Once at the surface, you can discard of the pests yourself or leave them to the birds. Martin also recommended using nematodes, naturally occurring, microscopic worms that can target and kill the leatherjackets. According to Martin, they arrive as "dried granules" which can be mixed with water, such as in a watering can, before being applied to your lawn. He recommends applying them first thing in the morning or at night to "avoid weakening the nematodes with harsh direct sunlight". Ben Agnew, a grass expert at Lawnsmith, advises that "prevention is easier than the cure" but that nematodes are a good way of combating the grubs. He said: "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." But he says the best course of action is to remove the dead patches of grass from your lawn and re-seed the area. Applying fertiliser across your lawn can help maintain its overall health. Lawns with poor drainage are more likely to suffer from a leatherjacket infestation, so addressing this problem is also key.
The Sun
07-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
My lawn has been destroyed by leatherjacket bugs over winter – the £17 buy that kills them & gets grass lush again
A WOMAN has been left devastated after her lawn was ruined by leatherjackets. Remi, who lives in a new build in the UK, spent most of last year getting rid of the bugs, only for them to come back during the winter months. 3 3 Leatherjackets are the larvae of the crane fly (daddy long-legs) and live just below the surface of the lawn until they emerge as adult flies during August to October. They tend to damage the roots of the grass, making it die on the surface and create brown patches in the lawn. Remi noticed the problem when she moved into her house last year and spent a lot of time getting rid of them and making her lawn green again. But over the winter months, she neglected the problem, making it come back this summer. Taking to social media, she said: "So the leatherjacket grubs are back! "After all of my hard work last year, this is how fast it takes them to ruin a lawn. And this is what happens, unfortunately, when you don't keep up with nematode treatments in a new build garden. "I got too comfortable and I thought, they're not going to come back. And if they do, it will only be a small amount. Very wrong!" Instead of using harsh chemicals, Remi used nematodes to get rid of the pesky critters. She used a nematode solution mixed with water and applied it all over the grass. It costs just £16.99 from the Green Gardener and must be applied every six weeks. We made our boring new build garden a Love Island style haven with bar & hot tub, but trolls say detail 'ruined our day' Nematodes are tiny little insects that act like parasites to other critters and kill leatherjackets without affecting your grass. This allows your grass to grow green and lush again. Remi revealed she used the solution last year and it worked wonders. "I'm pretty confident that after all we've been through with them, that this lawn will be looking great again within a month," she added. The clip soon went viral on her TikTok account @ remiclog with over 250k views and 12k likes. People were quick to take to the comments, gutted Remi's problem had come back. One person wrote: "Does anyone know why leatherjackets target new build gardens?" "Terrible drainage and poor quality turf usually! (And the turf sits for ages before it goes down)," replied one viewer. Another commented: 'I had loads in my garden, I didn't realise what they were, I have astroturf now." "Haven't seen you on my fyp for ages! Hopefully, your garden will recover quicker now you've gained experience from last year, it may be something you need to do every year unfortunately," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Oh no ! after all your work last year!" "i found a few in my garden this year and I'm so scared,' claimed a fifth.
