Asparagus and Leather Jackets

Hi there

Quick facts

Common name: Leatherjackets, daddy-longlegs, crane flies
Latin name: Tipula spp.
Plants affected: Mainly lawn grasses but also seedlings and small plants
Main symptoms: Lawns develop yellowish brown dead patches; seedlings collapse having been eaten at soil level; presence of leatherjackets in the soil
Caused by The larval stage of crane flies or daddy-longlegs
Timing: February-October

Leatherjackets can be damaging in lawn and sometimes kill small plants in flower beds and vegetable plots by eating roots and stem bases. They are often more numerous after a wet autumn, as damp conditions favour survival of eggs and young larvae.

There are currently no chemical controls for leatherjackets on lawns which can be applied by home gardeners.

A biological control is available for controlling leatherjackets in lawns, flower beds and vegetable plots. This is a pathogenic nematode, Steinernema feltiae, which is watered into the turf or soil. The nematodes enter the bodies of leatherjackets and infect them with a bacterial disease. To be effective, the nematode requires soil that is well drained but moist and with a minimum temperature of 12°C (54°F).

If the ants are disturbing the young crowns a sprinkling of ground cinnamon should put them off.