September and October bring a pest problem that catches a lot of Gedling, Netherfield, Carlton, Sherwood, Arnold and Woodthorpe homeowners off guard, because it doesn’t look like a typical infestation at first. Lawns start showing brown, spongy patches that peel back like turf, and on mild evenings clouds of long-legged flying insects turn up around porch lights and open windows. Both are signs of the same autumn pest: crane flies, better known locally as “daddy long-legs”, and their soil-dwelling larvae, leatherjackets.
Why this shows up now, and why these areas in particular
Adult crane flies emerge from lawns and grass verges through September, mate, and lay eggs straight back into the soil. Those eggs hatch into leatherjackets, which spend the autumn and winter feeding on grass roots just below the surface. Gedling, Netherfield and Carlton have a lot of the classic 1930s semi and interwar housing with proper front and back gardens, allotment land nearby, and playing fields along the Gedling Colliery and Netherfield Lagoons green corridors. Sherwood, Arnold and Woodthorpe are similar, with generous garden plots, Woodthorpe Grange Park close by, and mature grass verges throughout Arnold. All of that grass is exactly the habitat leatherjackets need, which is why we see a reliable spike in call-outs from these postcodes every autumn.
What to look for
The larvae themselves are easy to identify if you dig into a damaged patch: grey-brown, legless grubs around 2-3cm long with a tough, leathery skin (hence the name). A few signs point to a leatherjacket problem rather than drought stress or a different lawn disease:
- Irregular brown patches that lift away from the soil easily, almost like loose carpet
- Increased bird activity on the lawn early morning, especially starlings and gulls probing for grubs
- Small, ragged holes across the turf where birds or foxes have been digging
- A noticeable jump in adult crane flies indoors on mild evenings from mid-September
Indoors, they’re a nuisance rather than a health risk
It’s worth being clear on this: adult crane flies don’t bite, don’t spread disease, and don’t damage anything inside the house. The main issue indoors is sheer numbers, especially in homes near open grassland or with lawns close to the building, where a mild, still evening can bring a dozen or more inside through an open window. The real damage happens outside, underground, over winter, and often isn’t obvious until the following spring when large dead patches of lawn fail to green up.
What actually helps
A few things make a genuine difference before the larvae get established:
- Keep grass at a slightly longer cut through early autumn, since very short lawns are more attractive to egg-laying females
- Rake up thatch and leaf litter promptly, as damp, undisturbed debris is ideal cover for larvae
- Avoid overwatering lawns in September, since moist soil makes it easier for leatherjackets to feed near the surface
- If damage is already visible, a soil drench treatment timed correctly in autumn is far more effective than trying to treat established damage in spring
Where a garden has a genuine infestation rather than a light, harmless presence, professional treatment is worth it. It’s targeted, applied at the right concentration and timing to actually break the cycle before winter, and avoids the trial-and-error of shop-bought products that are often too diluted or applied at the wrong time of year to do much good.
Get it checked before winter sets in
If you’ve noticed patchy lawn damage or a sudden increase in crane flies around your home in Gedling, Netherfield, Carlton, Sherwood, Arnold or Woodthorpe, it’s worth getting it looked at now rather than waiting for spring, when the damage is done and the larvae have already moved on. NestBusters covers all of these areas and can identify whether it’s leatherjackets, chafer grubs, or something else entirely causing the damage, and treat it properly the first time.
Call NestBusters on 0742 984 9483 or visit nottinghampest.co.uk to book an inspection.
