Late September / Early October is Crane Fly season so you may see Crane fly (daddy long legs) on the lawn.
You will probably know that the larvae of the crane fly are leather jacket grubs and that those grubs sometimes cause damage to lawns as they graze on the roots.
I am afraid that there is no way of knowing if there will be a grub problem as it depends whether any eggs laid are viable and whether conditions across the next few months allow any grubs that hatch to survive in sufficient numbers to cause damage.
There are no longer any pesticides to deal with this pest so the best cure is prevention and that means using a natural treatment that utilises a parasitic nematode worm.
Through October is the best time to apply these microscopic worms which find the leatherjacket grub as a host and infect them with a specific species of bacteria, this multiplies and kills the grub.
Nematodes can be easily applied with a hose end feeder but must be refrigerated upon delivery, applied out of direct sunlight and then applied when the soil is warm and moist. Watering in the treatment and keeping the soil moist for several weeks after application is important as the nematodes must be able to reach grubs. These restrictions on application mean that we are unable to offer it as a treatment, but it is available to readily online.
You will probably know that the larvae of the crane fly are leather jacket grubs and that those grubs sometimes cause damage to lawns as they graze on the roots.
I am afraid that there is no way of knowing if there will be a grub problem as it depends whether any eggs laid are viable and whether conditions across the next few months allow any grubs that hatch to survive in sufficient numbers to cause damage.
There are no longer any pesticides to deal with this pest so the best cure is prevention and that means using a natural treatment that utilises a parasitic nematode worm.
Through October is the best time to apply these microscopic worms which find the leatherjacket grub as a host and infect them with a specific species of bacteria, this multiplies and kills the grub.
Nematodes can be easily applied with a hose end feeder but must be refrigerated upon delivery, applied out of direct sunlight and then applied when the soil is warm and moist. Watering in the treatment and keeping the soil moist for several weeks after application is important as the nematodes must be able to reach grubs. These restrictions on application mean that we are unable to offer it as a treatment, but it is available to readily online.