Leatherjackets - a pest of fine turf

I've already had several members enquiring about crows and magpies pecking at several of the greens. You'll notice that greens 3, 4, 6 and 7 seem to be the worst affected. Today, whilst I was changing the hole locations, I managed to take a few pictures. The picture below demonstrates the pecking on the 7th green.

Although we know that the birds are pecking, it is important to know what it is they are pecking for. Their food source at present is the leatherjacket. Leather jackets (Tipula paludosa) are the larvae of crane fly, or commonly known as daddy long legs. The eggs are laid into the soil profile in Autumn, often between September and October. 

After the eggs hatch, the larvae (see photo below) start to feed on grass shoots and roots. This feeding continues until late summer the following year when the larvae move down the soil profile in order to pupate (develop into the adult). They then emerge as adults in Autumn and so the cycle continues.

We soon hope to spray an insecticide for leather jacket control. This will be carried out when conditions ensure maximum efficacy of the insecticide. https://twitter.com/barenbruguk/status/436876806629904384