On Sunday, 7 February 2016 21:58:15 UTC, Vir Campestris wrote:

I've never seen so many bugs in such a small area - ecchh!

https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=651

Andy

Yes, I'm pretty confident that they are leatherjackets - both by look and effect!

Actually, I think my issue is multifaceted and something of a perfect storm:

- Very wet winter
- Clay subsoil and consequently less then ideal drainage
- Leatherjackets infestation
- A too short pre-winter final cut leaving the grass weaker than it could otherwise have been

When the weather starts to improve I may attempt to remove as many leatherjackets as is feasible - there's only a finite number out there - it's not like they are breeding, yet! Every leatherjacket I remove is one less at the dinner table. I will then give a treatment of nematodes when the soil temperature increases to tackle the remainder.

I may well give another treatment at the end of summer, following hatching of eggs laid by those I've missed, to hopefully remove this factor from the equation for next winter...

Thanks again to everyone for all the input - it has been really appreciated..

Mathew