There are two main species of leatherjacket in the UK, the larvae of the European Crane Fly and the Marsh Crane Fly.
Tipula paludosa (European crane fly) Leatherjackets have one generation per year*.
The adults emerge from pupation from July to September and almost immediately lay their eggs (peak emergence can vary regionally).
The larvae hatch out after about 14 days and start to feed on the bases of stems and roots immediately (this is when they are most vulnerable to nematodes), they become more active and feed voraciously in the spring when the soil begins to warm (the second opportunity to treat with nematodes but at double strength).
When fully grown they reach approximately 3-4 cm in length and then stay within their burrows for about 6-8 weeks before making their way to the soil surface to pupate and the cycle repeats.
*If you are seeing Adult Crane Flies in April/May, see the lifecycle of the Marsh Crane Fly.
Tipula oleracea (Marsh Crane Fly) Leatherjackets have two generations per year.
The adults emerge from pupation from April to May and July to September and almost immediately lay their eggs (peak emergence can vary regionally).
The larvae hatch out after about 14 days and start to feed on the bases of stems and roots immediately (this is when they are most vulnerable to nematodes), when fully grown they reach approximately 3-4 cm in length and then stay within their burrows for about 6-8 weeks before making their way to the soil surface to pupate and the cycle repeats.
Prior to applying the nematodes:
To avoid desiccation of the nematodes:
Nematodes by name
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