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WITH glimpses of sunshine on the horizon, it won't be long until we're all spending more time in our gardens.
But if your outdoor haven is looking a little worse for wear and you don't know why, then you may just want to take note.
That's because a homeowner whose luscious green grass has been ruined for over seven years has just discovered why - and it could be the same for you, too.
In a clip shared to TikTok, she shows off the yellow and brown patches on her lawn and urges anyone whose grass doesn't grow, to grab a trowel and to dig underneath the surface layer to see what surprises await.
After digging up some soil, she then reveals the wriggly creatures underneath, which are otherwise known as leatherjackets.
She explains: "Seven years we've had patchy grass and now I know why. These t***s. Leather jacket bugs. Disgusting!"
While you may never have heard of them, they're essentially babies of daddy long legs, which thrive in damp environments.
Revealing how she found two in just one small bit of grass, she adds: "So it turns out the the root of the grass and then they just kill it."
The post has since gone viral, racking up over 705k views and several comments from other social media users, who have all experienced the same.
Seven years we've had patchy grass and now I know why
Lottie
"Spent the whole day finding them and hunting them, my grass is gone," one person wrote.
Lottie replied: "I’m like that! Must be over 100 I’ve found."
A second commented: "Never seen or heard of a leather jacket bug in 40 years. Now everyone seems to have them on TikTok."
A third penned: "I’m so done with these in my garden!"
Meanwhile, a fourth wrote: "I need some of those leather jackets! I have a allotment and I don't want grass."
"Leatherjackets are the soil-dwelling larvae of crane-fly (daddy long legs)," explains garden experts Thompson and Morgan.
So, how do you recognise them? Well, they tend to be around 30mm long and have greyish-brown bodies and no legs.
"They can be found growing underneath lawns, feeding on grass roots until they pupate and emerge as crane flies between August and October, then they lay the next generation of leatherjackets," the experts continue.
The pesky bugs also thrive in damp conditions and the larvae will continue to feed throughout the year, resulting in even more damage to your lawn.
Signs of leatherjacket damage
Elsewhere, others shared their top tips on how to remove the pesky bugs.
"Put a black sheet over for 10 or so mins and they think it's night time so come to the top, ripe for picking," one person advised.
And a further suggested: "Starlings love them. Encourage birds to come into your garden.
"They’ll sort them out."
