Recognize and of course combat meadow gnats

Does your lawn suddenly get yellow to brown spots - especially in spring? Then the larvae of the meadow gnat feed on the grass roots. This is how you recognize and fight the annoying pest.

recognize meadow cranes

Meadow crane flies (Tipula paludosa), colloquially known as tailors, stilt mosquitoes or marsh crane flies, are easily recognizable by their unusually long and thin legs. The flying insect, which belongs to the Diptera, is associated with the

mosquitoes related, but harmless themselves. However, the animals with the long, narrow body and the long, thin wings can be significantly larger than their blood-sucking relatives with a body length of about 15 to 25 millimeters.

A notice: There are different types of gnats in Germany, which, however, can hardly be distinguished from one another for laypeople. Therefore, the generic term "Schnake" is often used as a collective term for these long-legged, whirring insects.

Determine the larvae of the meadow crane fly

The adults, i. H. adult, crane flies are harmless to humans and lawns. Only the larvae living in the soil can kill parts of the lawn if they occur in large numbers by eating the roots of the grass. Tipula larvae can be recognized by the following characteristics:

• depending on the growth phase between a few millimeters and up to four centimeters long
• tubular, worm-like body shape
• greyish coloring
• Head and body end hardly distinguishable from each other

A notice: The larvae of the meadow cranefly can also be distinguished as Engerlingen designated beetle larvae (of which only a few are considered pests!) u. a. distinguished by the typical "devil's grimace". This is a dark plate with light-colored extensions, which is located at the rear end of the body and is used for locomotion.

lifestyle and development

The offspring of the meadow crane fly goes through a total of four larval stages, all of which it spends in loose soil with lots of grass. The mating season of the meadow gnat takes place between the beginning of September and the beginning of October, after which the female animals lay between 300 and 500 eggs directly in the lawn. The larvae hatch two to four weeks later and then go through the following phases:

• 1. Larval stage: Immediately after hatching, they burrow into the ground, only a few millimeters in size, but if you look closely you can see them with the naked eye
• 2. Larval stage: about a month later, body length of about one centimeter, feed mainly at night above ground and underground
• 3. Larval Stage: Retires to the ground for overwintering before the first frost
• 4. Larval stage: runs from April to August of the following year, the larva is now significantly larger (up to four centimeters!) and now eats during the day

The animals pupate in August. The adults, freshly hatched from the cocoon, immediately go in search of a mate and the cycle begins again.

Tip: Meadow crane larvae are very popular as a snack for many birds. So pay attention blackbirds, crows, magpies and Co. If they romp around on your lawn and peck there with striking frequency, there is probably a massive infestation.

damage picture

The characteristic feature of an infestation by larvae is the sudden appearance of brownish or yellowish spots in the lawn, which usually spread in spring (especially after mild winters) through to summer.

Sometimes, however, these appear as early as autumn, when the young meadow crane fly larvae are feeding on the grass roots. However, before you start fighting the plague, do this test to be on the safe side:

1. Take a spade or digging fork.
2. Prick out a piece of an affected area.
3. Examine the soil for larvae.
4. If you find any, there is an infestation.

Finally, yellow or brown discoloration in the lawn can also have other causes - such as fungal diseases or simply dryness - which should be ruled out before taking any action to combat it.

Combat grasshoppers

Various methods have proven effective in combating tipula larvae. We present the most promising.

1. nematodes

Nematodes are an effective, natural and completely non-toxic way to control harmful insects in the garden. Against the larvae of the meadow cranefly you can use nematodes of the species Steinernema carpocapsae use, which can be bought dried in specialist shops and online. However, you should pay attention to these instructions when using it:

• effective control only possible in autumn (end of August / September).
• Soil temperature should be above 12°C
• Do not use in direct sunlight (otherwise the nematodes will die!)
• best used in the evening
• Dissolve powdered nematodes in irrigation water
• then spread over the lawn

An application in spring or summer, however, is no longer possible. In this case, you should wait for the pupation and hatching of the larvae, and then carry out the treatment.

A notice: Nematodes are tiny roundworms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. They die after treatment and have no harmful effects on others, possibly useful insects and their larvae: after all, the animals, also known as elklets, are high specialized.

2. home remedies

If you only notice the infestation in the spring, these measures will help:

• Scarify the lawn thoroughly
• then lime

Both care for the lawn, strengthen the grass and kill the gnat larvae. However, your work will only be successful if the animals are active. Therefore, the soil temperature should be at least eight degrees Celsius. But be careful: after scarifying there is often one overseeding necessary. Incidentally, this type of control can also be carried out very well in autumn, when it is already too cold for the nematodes.

Tip: It is best to lime the lawn in the evening when the tipula larvae come to the surface. If they are big enough, they can also be easily collected and set up as welcome bird food.

Effective prevention

To prevent an infestation from occurring in the first place, these measures will help:

• Scarify lawn in spring/aerate
• then lime (pay attention to the pH value!)
• Keep lawns as short as possible during the mating season
• if necessary, cover with a light and air-permeable fleece

Tip: It also helps if you keep your garden as small as possible bird friendly shape, because the feathered companions also keep the infestation small.

frequently asked Questions