Pests disturbing your beautiful lawn?

Here in the U.K, we have two primary pests which cause major changes to our lawns; these are Leatherjackets and Chafer Grubs.

Leatherjackets – In most cases, they eat the grass root from the outside of the lawn inwards. The Leatherjackets one-year life cycle starts when the female lays her eggs in the lawn around September, they hatch 2-3 weeks later. During mild winters, the pests will have grown, and the damage will be much more extensive by February/March.

You will also notice the Leatherjacket grub coming up out of the lawn. Quite simply, the higher the number of Leatherjackets visible on the surface of the lawn, the larger the infestation.

Optimal Treatment Time: The most effective treatment period using nematodes is late September/October. Once they have stopped feeding, your lawn may begin to recover.

Chafer Grubs – Your lawn may be losing colour in a certain area, appearing pale green as opposed to its normal vibrant colour; this is normally in patches. Additionally, external damage can be caused by birds, badgers, etc. who pull the lawn up to eat the grubs. If you pull at your lawn and it lifts easily from the soil, even splitting the turf, you may see grubs near the surface. This most likely means that you have an infestation and need a Nematode treatment.

Optimal Treatment Time: Between mid-July and October is when Chafer Grubs are most active, although dependent on weather conditions, this period could be even longer. This is the optimal treatment period as they’re at their smallest, making it easier for the nematodes to control them.

How do we treat Lawn Pests?

We prioritise environmental management and are committed to promoting a sustainable environment. With this in mind, our pest control and management are completely biological (organic). For the treatment of Leatherjackets (larvae of the crane fly/daddy longlegs) and Chafer Grubs (larvae of the chafer beetle), we apply Nematodes at the optimum time of year for best results.

Nematodes treatment will reduce the population of pests, consequently lessening the damage to your lawn. However, Nematodes work best when applied proactively rather than preventatively.

If you live in an area prone to such pests or have experienced their effects previously, we can treat in advance, hopefully before they become a problem for your lawn. There is a short window of opportunity to effectively treat these pests, the changeable weather can also have a significant influence on when the treatment will be most effective.

Don’t let your lawn suffer from these bothersome Lawn Pests, get in touch with your local branch today to book in your treatment - click here.