As we go from winter into Spring, we should be regularly checking our lawns for signs of leather jacket larvae damage. In the late summer (usually end of July and August, depending on soil temperature) craneflies lay their eggs in the ground – they can lay up to 300 eggs at a time!

An infestation can utterly destroy a lawn so reducing the potential for damage by checking for grubs during the winter months through to the spring is recommended. The lawn also needs to be kept moist for nematodes to penetrate the soil and reach the Leatherjackets. I tried Nemasys last year 2022 and saw an immediate improvement with our lawn looking better than it has for years. A specialist all-in one leather cleaner nourisher preserver and conditioner that will help protect your leather and keep it looking its best. However, as a general rule, it is recommended to condition a leather jacket every year or two, or whenever the leather starts to feel dry or stiff.

A strong chemical smell indicates that the leather has been badly tanned or that it is faux leather. Before applying the conditioner to the entire jacket, test it on a small, inconspicuous area to ensure it doesn’t cause any discoloration or damage. Then be sure to use plenty of conditioner on it in the next step and the color of your jacket will be more uniform. If sustained this life cycle can lead to significantly reduced leatherjacket populations in subsequent years. Bickmore’s Bick 4: This lightweight conditioner doesn’t moisturize as deeply as some, but it’s perfect if you want to preserve the color of your jacket.

When it comes to lawn damage done by leatherjackets, the extent of the damage can be serious if they aren’t dealt with swiftly and effectively. Applying a preventative nematode treatment in the autumn will help the soil to build up a resistance. If possible, choose leather which has been vegetable tanned, which is a lengthier tanning process but one which uses far fewer chemicals.An easy way to judge the correct time is to apply two weeks after a large number of crane fly are seen.