4 Signs Daddy Longlegs Are Ruining Your Garden

Crane fly closeupI don’t know about you, but I grew up believing that daddy longlegs were “the most poisonous spiders on Earth” – they just had no way to administer it. But speaking to HuffPost UK previously, entomologist Professor Adam Hart explained that daddy longlegs are, for one, not actually spiders (in the UK, the term usually refers to crane flies). Crane flies “are not venomous in any way,” he said, and “provide a huge energy boost for insect-feeding birds and mammals at a difficult time of the year”. They might, however, create some issues in your garden, especially if you’re facing an “infestation”. How do daddy longlegs affect my garden?The adult insects themselves don’t do much to your grass or greenery. But, as Frankie Seamark shared on Instagram, some of their larvae are a different matter. “The last thing you want is [crane flies] laying their eggs on your lawn,” she explained. “Within a couple of months, they hatch into grubs called leatherjackets, and over the winter and spring, they’ll be feeding on the roots of your lawn.” The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said these can be particularly plentiful after a wet autumn, “as damp conditions favour survival of eggs and larvae” and can cause damage to grass, small plants in borders, and veggies. How can I spot leatherjackets?You might notice: Small, greyish grubs in your garden, up to 3cm longPatches of yellow-brown, dead grassHoles in the ground left by the beaks of birds like crows, magpies, rooks, and starlings, which feed off of leatherjacketsDead seedlings and small plants.Per the RHS, a good way to tell whether you have a leatherjacket infestation is to place a light-blocking material, like black polythene, on a watered lawn overnight. If leatherjackets are there, the next morning, they “should be found on the lawn surface under the cover”.What should I do if I notice leatherjackets?Not all leatherjackets will noticeably affect your lawn. The RHS says that only a “small number” actually cause damage, so if you’re not bothered by them, leave them alone – they’re great for birds and other animals. While experts recommend biological controls like nematodes to help control leatherjacket populations, unfortunately, these might not work in the cold soil of winter when lawn damage can be more visible. That’s why it’s important to act now, while the weather’s still mild, if you spot any leatherjacket-related damage – “to be effective, the nematodes require soil that is well drained but moist and with a minimum temperature of 12°C”, said the society.It added: “As a preventive measure, nematodes can be applied in September to early October against leatherjackets.” Related...UK Gardeners Urged Not To Make 8 Mistakes In Heavy RainThis Bird Feeding Mistake Is Keeping Robins Away From Your GardenUK Gardeners Urged To Keep These 5 Weeds Alive In Autumn

Comments

Breaking news

Metro

Tory MP reports deepfake claiming he joined Reform to police

about 2 hours ago

Independent

‘No Kings’ protests pass in festival atmosphere as an estimated 7 million across US rally against Trump’s ‘authoritarianism’

about 2 hours ago

Music could help ease pain from surgery or illness. Scientists are listening

Independent

Comments

Similar News

Ohtani to Start Game 4: How to Watch Dodgers vs Brewers NLCS, Live Stream MLB Postseason, TV Channel

Dodgers Announce Roki Sasaki News Ahead of NLCS Game 4

Gold prices topped $4,300 this week. What's driving the surge?

Arizona set to execute a man who killed 4 members of a Phoenix family in 1993

Terrified puppy abandoned on streets twice in 4 weeks desperately needs forever home

Yankees 7-Year Veteran Projected To Sign Huge 4-Year, $72 Million Contract

French police arrest 4 in alleged plot targeting exiled Russian activist Vladimir Osechkin

Mongolia's leader ousted after 4 months in ruling party feud

When I collapsed on a girls' holiday aged 23, doctors thought I was hungover. In fact, I'd had a stroke because of a hidden condition that affects 1 in 4 people

How to Watch Blue Jays vs Mariners ALCS Game 4: Live Stream MLB Postseason, TV Channel

Gold on track for $5,000 as precious metal hits new record high to nudge $4,300 for first time

Health chiefs say UK flu season 'arriving early' and advise 'stay home' with 4 symptoms

Stacey Solomon urges pet owners to try this £4 hack ahead of Bonfire Night

Worrying update on boy, 4 who vanished from grandparents' home as cruel photo emerges

4 Reasons UK Gardeners Should Leave Autumn Leaves On The Ground

Coroner describes ‘remarkable discovery’ of 4,000-year-old human skull in Indiana

Latvia vs England - World Cup Qualifiers: Live score and updates as own goal puts Three Lions 4-0 up and on verge of World Cup qualification

Thai waitress hands back wallet with £4,700 back to owner who lost it

Last of Us star spotted in Glasgow as Channel 4 film crew descends on city streets

'Beautiful' boy, 4, dies days after developing cough during national outbreak

Breaking news

Tory MP reports deepfake claiming he joined Reform to police

‘No Kings’ protests pass in festival atmosphere as an estimated 7 million across US rally against Trump’s ‘authoritarianism’

Music could help ease pain from surgery or illness. Scientists are listening

Morocco's Gen Z protesters demand accountability and education reform

US warns Hamas planning attack on Palestinian civilians in apparent violation of Gaza ceasefire

Ex-Proud Boys leader and Jan 6 convict Enrique Tarrio attends ‘No Kings’ rally in Miami

Two leading candidates to chair grooming gangs inquiry revealed

'I lay next to my murdered son on his hospital bed and made him a promise'

Prince William to freeze out Prince Andrew in more ruthless approach on royal life

Burglary suspect causes chaos in court after hurling poo at judge

Hamas hands over bodies of two more hostages, Israel confirms

Queen Camilla puts on united Royal front at Ascot after Prince Andrew loses titles

Ian Watkins sent secret fiancée sick love note days before he was killed in jail

King Charles secret project after teaming up with huge TV star revealed

Woman stole over £100k from friends then fled to US and posed as fake heiress

Prince William wants disgraced Andrew 'banned from coronation and all royal life'

Kanye West sells decaying $14 million Wyoming ranch back to its original owners

MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: Nations smaller than ours stand up to China so surely we should too

I've been fat-shamed, says the 20st Santa axed after struggling to fit into his costume

Tens of thousands of homeowners could be hit by new council tax bands as Rachel Reeves sets her sights on higher-value homes

Trapped 200ft underwater with time running out: How a sub crew escaped death… only to meet a fate MUCH worse

Labour urged to come clean over secret summits with Chinese officials that show extent of links to Beijing

New spy fears over site of Chinese 'super-embassy' due to proximity to phone exchange that handles sensitive City data

'Catastrophic' attack as Russians hack files on EIGHT MoD bases and post them on the dark web

Revealed: NHS bosses wanted Darlington nurses to be schooled by the same trans woman they complained had allegedly commented on their breasts in the female changing room

MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: The prince wriggled and squirmed... but a free and fearless Press would not let him off the hook

Revealed: Jeffrey Epstein introduced Prince Andrew to a second woman who the convicted paedophile had sexually abused and trafficked for years and tried to set them up for a dinner date

Epstein 'bankrolled Sarah Ferguson for 15 years' and she 'took daughters to celebrate his release from prison in US' astonishing emails claim

Loose Women star Kaye Adams taken off £155,000-a-year BBC radio show after staff claim they were bullied

Prince Andrew told Epstein it was 'possible' he was photographed with sex accuser Virginia Giuffre during 2011 MoS probe into the leaked picture but told BBC Newsnight it could have been 'doctored' just eight years later

Heard the one about how many fat-salaried NHS managers it takes to change a lightbulb? (The punchline's no joke... I should know, I'm a very angry A&E doctor)

Family of Lady Annabel Goldsmith, society matriarch who gave her name to London's swankiest nightclub, hail her 'extraordinary and complete' life... but say her death has left them 'bereft'

TALK OF THE TOWN: The Beckhams' 1,000 sq ft man-made beach may cross a line in the sand for local planners

Revealed: Lostprophets paedophile Ian Watkins' final act on night before he was butchered was to pen depraved love letter to 'secret fiance' where he vowed they wouldn't be 'apart forever'

Blair backs Kemi on migration by arguing small-boat arrivals should not be able to claim asylum

Verstappen takes US pole with Norris second

Different coach but same Rangers? - Smith questions mentality & habits

Israel receives two bodies that Hamas says are Gaza hostages

'I miss the past, but we like the money': The Bali-fication of a laidback surfers' island

US to repatriate survivors of strike on 'drug-carrying submarine', Trump says

What Will Winter Bring? NOAA Outlook May Offer Some Clues.

Thousands protest plans for mandatory digital ID cards in the UK

Heir to Mango fashion empire investigated over billionaire father’s cliff fall death

Best signs and costumes from the nationwide ‘No Kings’ protests condemning the Trump administration

Trump to repatriate two survivors of strike on alleged ‘drugs sub’ destroyed in Caribbean

Kristi Noem gets luxury $172M jets she had asked for prompting questions over where the funding is coming from

Prince Andrew ‘gagged’ Virginia Giuffre to stop her tarnishing the Queen’s platinum jubilee, memoir claims

Protesters march through streets against digital ID plans

Northern lights could be seen across Scotland tonight as red alert issued

Man who watched friends have bladders removed still couldn't stop taking ketamine

Rangers legend Paul Gascoigne 'came back from the dead with injection to his heart'

Horror as seven kids found in dire conditions in home 'saturated with faeces and urine'

Inside Prince Andrew's Royal Lodge where disgraced royal will continue to live

£378 emergency DWP payment for Universal Credit claimants

Prince Andrew told to drop titles in 10-minute call with 'weary' King Charles

Angelina Jolie is the epitome of chic in a classic black gown as she continues to promote her latest film Couture in Rome

Molly-Mae Hague reveals she took prescription medication for extreme anxiety after suffering panic attacks amid Tommy Fury relationship troubles