From the renowned range of Nemasys natural pest control comes Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer - and you'll need it if your lawn has developed brown patches and the grass has little root growth as the chances are you've got leatherjackets (the larvae of the cranefly or daddy longlegs).
The prolific lawn pest is hunted down and killed by the nematode steinernema feltiae contained in Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer but there is only a small window of opportunity to prevent this very-expensive-to-repair lawn damage; Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer applications should be made 1 - 2 weeks after the first craneflies have been spotted usually from August onwards.
Please Note: this item will be despatched at the optimum time for application. This live product is despatched to UK Mainland addresses only!
- Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer should be applied from late August to end of October
- Supplied in two pack sizes - 100m² and 500m²
- Simply water onto soil
- Full instructions provided
- Essential to keep lawn moist before and after applying
- Much more cost effective than re-turfing a lawn
- Safe to use around children, pets and wildlife
Nematode Pest Control Delivery
Being a live product, nematodes are ordered every week on a Monday to be delivered on Friday of the same week.
For example an order placed on a Friday would be ordered on the following Monday to be delivered on Friday of that week.
Product Reviews
Absolutely brilliant product! Prompt delivery thank you. Easy to use, environmentally friendly and it works! We had the signs of damage on the lawn and most years we get a lot of Crane Flies around in the autumn, but this year we have had none at all. After allowing the nematodes time to do their duty, we reseeded the patches and soon had lush green grass once more.
Two of my three lawns in 2015 was so decimated by leather jackets there was no alternative but to dig both in and reseed. My soil is light, which is favoured by these pests. I not only treated the lawns I had reseeded with this product; but a third which although had been attacked by leather jackets was reasonably ok. I scarified that one and overseeded it. All three lawns have come through a miserable winter well. Much better than ever before. This product does not eliminate leather jackets 100% but it is really effective in controlling them. Leather jackets have the habit of laying their eggs in the lawn they hatch from so I will be treating the lawns again this year. A word of advice. Don`t rush to use this product. Wait a couple of weeks after the adults have finished laying their eggs then apply it. Doing it at the wrong time is a bit of a waste of time.
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Application Advice
Full details of how to apply the nematodes are provided with the product but we can't stress how important it is to keep the soil moist after application. Failure to do so will severely reduce the effectiveness of the nematodes and they may even die. Ensure you water the soil or lawn immediately after application and keep damp for at least the next two weeks.
As this product has a very definite application window (when the young leatherjackets have just hatched), we refrain from supplying this product outside of these times when it is unlikely to prove effective.
Leatherjackets
Leatherjackets are the larval stage of the crane fly or daddy-long-legs.
Leatherjacket larvae are about 2.5cm (1" long), greyish black in colour, legless and with no distinct head.
In summer leatherjackets pupate. In August they start to lay eggs re-infesting lawns. Within two weeks eggs hatch. The young start to feed, continuing throughout winter, ready to gorge on grass roots in spring. Grass growth slows and yellow patches appear. Grass is easily pulled up, with little or no root growth.
In August gardeners may see clouds of daddy-long-legs emerging from lawns in the early morning and this, as well as the listed damage, are sure signs of leatherjacket infestation.
Starlings peck at the grass in an attempt to eat the grubs.
Wildlife, such as foxes and badgers, can also create a lot of damage as they dig up your lawn in search of grubs for food.
There is no chemical control for leatherjackets.
Leatherjacket Killer Application
Apply when the young leatherjackets are active in the soil, this is typically late August through to the end of October.
When you start to see the adult daddy-long-legs in your garden (towards the end of August) you will know that in a few days they will be laying eggs. These will hatch quickly, therefore, aim to apply about a week to two weeks after you see the adults.
Apply to moist lawns when the soil temperature is above 12ºC (54ºF) and water them in well. The nematode needs to be washed well in so that they reach the roots where the leatherjackets will be. Make sure the lawn does not dry out after applying nematodes.
100m2 pack
- Dissolve the entire contents of the pack in a bucket containing 5 litres of water to create a stock solution.
- Stir vigorously and immediately take 0.5 litre of the stock solution, add to a 5 litre watering can fitted with a very coarse rose and fill with water.
- Apply the solution to a tenth of the soil area to be treated.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the whole area is treated.
- Water the treated area after application.
The small pack fills 10 watering cans of 5 litres and treats up to 100m2. Also easily applied with a recommended garden hose applicator.
500m2 pack
- Dissolve the entire contents of the pack in 50 litres of water to create a stock solution - this can also be done in batches as for the 100m2 pack - using a fifth of the pack in a 10 litre bucket to make the stock solution.
- Stir vigorously and immediately take 0.5 litre of the stock solution, add to a 5 litre watering can fitted with a very coarse rose and fill with water.
- Apply the solution to a hundredth of the soil area to be treated.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the whole area is treated.
- Water the treated area after application.
The large pack fills 100 watering cans of 5 litres and treats up to 500m2. Also easilyapplied with a recommended garden hose applicator.
The nematodes (Steinernema feltiae), seek out the leatherjackets and attack the pest by entering natural body openings. Once inside, they release bacteria that stops the pest from feeding, quickly killing the pest. They do not stop there. The nematodes reproduce inside the dead pest and release a new generation of hungry infective nematodes, which disperse and search for further prey.
Nematode Pest Control Delivery
Being a live product, nematodes are ordered every week on a Monday to be delivered on Friday of the same week.
For example an order placed on a Friday would be ordered on the following Monday to be delivered on Friday of that week.
What The Press Say
Landscape MagazineJune 2018
Effectively Treat Leatherjackets
Leatherjackets are the soil-dwelling larvae of the flies commonly know as daddy longlegs. Daddy longlegs appear towards the end of August and lay their eggs within days. Once they hatch, around two weeks later, the inch-long legless creatures begin to feed on grass roots and stem bases, devastating lawns and plants. Nemasys Leatherjacket Killer is a safe and effective way to deal with a leatherjacket infestation, which can only be treated using biological methods.
