Leather jackets.

[Alanbutt]

Get lot leather jackets in lawn. When it's raining they come out grass & some end up in pond. Fish go mad for them. Good natural food, so been giving them few worms too. Then some on said leather jackets were poisonous...Dont really believe that as they naturally fall into ponds & pretty sure if they were bad for them they would not eat them..Any one else know anything.

 

[Mmathis]

@Alanbutt I’m sorry, but I can’t understand what you are trying to say. What is a “leather jacket?”

 

[Alanbutt]

Crane fly larve...Ah..this is mainly an American site..Did not realise...

 

[Mmathis]

@Alanbutt I’m sorry, but I can’t understand what you are trying to say. What is a “leather jacket?”

Crane fly larve...Ah..this is mainly an American site..Did not realise...

Oh, OK! Thanks for the clarification! I was about to suggest that someone call for emergency medical to go check you out, LOL!

 

[Alanbutt]

Ha ha..bud....Not sure if you even have them over there. But the dam things eat your grass. So feeding them to fish quite therapeutic...

 

[Becky]

As far as I know, neither crane flies nor their larvae (leather jackets) are toxic or poisonous. There's a widely believed myth that daddy longlegs carry deadly vemon but lack the ability to use it, but it's just a myth. To be honest I don't know whether that myth refers to crane flies (which are often called daddy longlegs) or the spider (which is also called daddy longlegs), but as far as I know crane flies are harmless (unless you are grass)

 

[addy1]

@Alanbutt I’m sorry, but I can’t understand what you are trying to say. What is a “leather jacket?”

That thing you put on to ride a harley!

Interesting that leather jackets are bugs............... bet the fish do like them

 

[MitchM]

We had lots of leather jackets in the lawn when I lived in Vancouver.
It's too dry for them here in the prairies though.

 

[JamieB]

We have crane flies out here, but I’ve never seen their larvae. Post a pic please! And there’s folks from all over, but I guess mostly it is Americans. A fair amount of Brits, Europe, some from Canada.

 

[MitchM]

@JamieB

 

[addy1]

Aww we have those! Never called them leather jackets.

 

[MitchM]

Yeah, leather jackets are a funny name.

 

[JamieB]

I’ve probably seen them, but not often. Wouldn’t mind some kind of bug that eats only Johnson grass! I’ve got to get the guys motivated to go knock down what’s already grown. Thanks!

 

[qclabrat]

we have grubs here in our parts and they do the same type of damage. A few typically won't harm your lawn, but infestations can be controlled by a pesticide. I know some don't like using pesticides, but sometimes its necessary to control these buggars. Hey I, just used a Brit phrase...

 

[addy1]

I have tons of grubs and tons of moles that eat them. No pesticides used since we have bee hives.