I have a landscaping/insect problem and question. Help!

YourDirtisMyfood

Okay, I cut the lawn the other day and in my backyard, as I was cutting, I became inundated with these flying bugs. I mean, in the thousands, without embellishing. They were flying everywhere. They looked like giant mosquitos, but I've since been able to identify them as Craneflies.

They are harmless except for the fact that the larvae can feast on the grass and roots, creating patches. I was out there today and did notice patches that I don't believe that I had before. I grabbed the only chemical that I had for lawns, WeedBGone, and sprayed the backyard. We're expecting rain the next few days in the South Shore, thus I'm hoping the chemicals will carry over to the bugs in the lawn.

Anyone ever experience this problem and find a solution to getting rid of them? I just don't want brown patches everywhere as my lawn has been looking pretty sweet this fall.

Thanks.

http://www.insectidentification.org/ins ... n=Cranefly

chadwick

chemicals suck.
bugs better
poison shit not good.

patches in your lawn bother you that much?
you may wanna see a therapist.

good luck.

YourDirtisMyfood

chadwick wrote:

chemicals suck.
bugs better
poison shit not good.

patches in your lawn bother you that much?
you may wanna see a therapist.

good luck.

Thanks Chad.

Um, anyone else?

g under p

I mowed my 2 acres today and my problem was red ant nests. I think I ran over atleast 7 nests, they scurry and rebuild. They are a tenacious group to say the least always find a way to get a bite in or two on my legs. I wish you luck on your cranefly problem, I've never had that particular problem.

Peace

YourDirtisMyfood

g under p wrote:

I mowed my 2 acres today and my problem was red ant nests. I think I ran over atleast 7 nests, they scurry and rebuild. They are a tenacious group to say the least always find a way to get a bite in or two on my legs. I wish you luck on your cranefly problem, I've never had that particular problem.

Peace

thanks, man. Yeah, it used to be crickets and praying manthesisss' in my backyard, but this is like warfare. Everytime I walk, the trembor sends a hundred at a time flying (I'm under 200 pds) and they are f*cking huge. Like mosquitos on steroids.

RKCNDY

I did a quick search on craneflies (we have lots of them here). Basically there is nothing you can do now. Any type of pesticide needs to be applied in April to kill off the leatherjackets. The best defense is a healthy lawn.
They are annoying, but they don't carry disease, bite, or sting.

Here is the site I got info from,

http://lakewhatcom.wsu.edu/gardenkit/un ... anefly.htm

chadwick

my neighbor wants me to spray my yard for dandelions.
i tell him it wont ever happen.

i am not ever introducing chemical shit into my living area.
he agrees that chemicals are bullshit
yet the dandelions drive him and his wife so insane
that they must kill them by way of spraying poisons.

wonderful.

i don't understand.

YourDirtisMyfood

4and20 wrote:

I did a quick search on craneflies (we have lots of them here). Basically there is nothing you can do now. Any type of pesticide needs to be applied in April to kill off the leatherjackets. The best defense is a healthy lawn.
They are annoying, but they don't carry disease, bite, or sting.

Here is the site I got info from,

http://lakewhatcom.wsu.edu/gardenkit/un ... anefly.htm

Thanks for looking that up. I did see the April date as well - I guess that I was hoping that some folks had gone through this in the fall and had a solution.

YourDirtisMyfood

chadwick wrote:

my neighbor wants me to spray my yard for dandelions.
i tell him it wont ever happen.

i am not ever introducing chemical shit into my living area.
he agrees that chemicals are bullshit
yet the dandelions drive him and his wife so insane
that they must kill them by way of spraying poisons.

wonderful.

i don't understand.

one man's dandelions is another man's flowers.

81

I sprayed my yard for weeds fuck dadilions.

Sorry never had a bug problem. I assume you have googled it

g under p

YourDirtisMyfood wrote:

g under p wrote:

I mowed my 2 acres today and my problem was red ant nests. I think I ran over atleast 7 nests, they scurry and rebuild. They are a tenacious group to say the least always find a way to get a bite in or two on my legs. I wish you luck on your cranefly problem, I've never had that particular problem.

Peace

thanks, man. Yeah, it used to be crickets and praying manthesisss' in my backyard, but this is like warfare. Everytime I walk, the trembor sends a hundred at a time flying (I'm under 200 pds) and they are f*cking huge. Like mosquitos on steroids.

Luckly way out here in South Florida next to the everglades these ants are quite plentiful. I don't like spray chemicals so I just bag droplets that keep them at bay and away from the surrounding house. Further out in the yard they can rebuild all they want and live in....

Peace

YourDirtisMyfood

g under p wrote:

YourDirtisMyfood wrote:

g under p wrote:

I mowed my 2 acres today and my problem was red ant nests. I think I ran over atleast 7 nests, they scurry and rebuild. They are a tenacious group to say the least always find a way to get a bite in or two on my legs. I wish you luck on your cranefly problem, I've never had that particular problem.

Peace

thanks, man. Yeah, it used to be crickets and praying manthesisss' in my backyard, but this is like warfare. Everytime I walk, the trembor sends a hundred at a time flying (I'm under 200 pds) and they are f*cking huge. Like mosquitos on steroids.

Luckly way out here in South Florida next to the everglades these ants are quite plentiful. I don't like spray chemicals so I just bag droplets that keep them at bay and away from the surrounding house. Further out in the yard they can rebuild all they want and live in....

Peace

I had one of these craneflies get into the house and the cat went apeshit. It was like Christmas for her. I always try to save every bug that gets into the house from the cat and placed it in a cup and chucked it outside. But when they start f'ing with the lawn after I spend a lot to keep it looking nice..... :evil:

81

just read a couple of quick articles. seems that as long as you have a healthy yard, it should recover pretty quickly. no need to worry to much.

Franny

chadwick wrote:

my neighbor wants me to spray my yard for dandelions.
i tell him it wont ever happen.

i am not ever introducing chemical shit into my living area.
he agrees that chemicals are bullshit
yet the dandelions drive him and his wife so insane
that they must kill them by way of spraying poisons.

wonderful.

i don't understand.

You don't have to use herbicides. You can use boiling water or vinegar. Much nicer to your soil and the other plants.

catefrances

YourDirtisMyfood wrote:

chadwick wrote:

my neighbor wants me to spray my yard for dandelions.
i tell him it wont ever happen.

i am not ever introducing chemical shit into my living area.
he agrees that chemicals are bullshit
yet the dandelions drive him and his wife so insane
that they must kill them by way of spraying poisons.

wonderful.

i don't understand.

one man's dandelions is another man's flowers.

weeds are just plants out of place.

dandelions are lovely. i wouldnt dream of getting rid of any plant that feels the need to grow on my patch. i dont see 'weeds' as a problem. they just make the yard more interesting.

cowboypjfan

Who the fuck wants weeds in their yard? Weird....

catefrances

crazypjfan wrote:

Who the fuck wants weeds in their yard? Weird....

theyre just plants. i see no reason to kill them just cause soemone has decided theyre weeds.

chime

I can't add anything about getting rid of them ... only thing I can add is that they are known as daddy longlegs here :?

I too wouldn't get rid of dandelions ... love dandelions and daisies in a lawn

cowboypjfan

catefrances wrote:

crazypjfan wrote:

Who the fuck wants weeds in their yard? Weird....

theyre just plants. i see no reason to kill them just cause soemone has decided theyre weeds.

I should take a picture of my neighbors yard and send it to you. I am sure that you'll change your mind while trying to locate his house behind the 'plants'. lol

81

yeah, i want thistles in my back yard. they are lovely to walk on.

Who Princess

Living in Texas my lawn problems are not exactly the same as the OP. We get grubs from June bugs occasionally that will damage the roots but we have a bigger problem with a fungus that leaves large brown patches. But it's easy to treat. You can use a chemical but what works just as well is spreading a 1" layer of peat moss on it. Then you don't have to worry about extra chemicals killing other things or the run off getting into the word system.

But srsly, whether you have a bug problem or a fungus, Weed B Gone is not going to solve it. :roll: Talk to someone at a nursery or garden center. They should have some idea what the problem is.

And if you don't like having the bugs, put up some bird feeders and attract birds to your yard. They love to eat bugs. I have a real bias against using chemicals.

Jo

On TV I saw this old lady saying how she had lived there for 40 years, her husband died 10 years ago, and now those harmless littles ants have killed all her chooks,plants and now her home over-run with ants and bugs it is UN-SALEable.
Get rid of them...........

cowboypjfan

81 wrote:

yeah, i want thistles in my back yard. they are lovely to walk on.

Yeah, these ones are even better to grow in your yard:

chadwick

crazypjfan wrote:

Who the fuck wants weeds in their yard? Weird....

in the woods you wouldnt give a shit if a bison shit diarrhea all over your front yard.
and then mated with his herd of cows spraying sexual fluids all over your dodge 4x4.


i plant weeds all over the earth
fuckin blast

black diamond has buffalo shitting in his yard and they eat the dandelions.
zero chemicals on/in his lawn.
the black diamond herd is 13 beasts and going strong... 12 cows
1 bull

with a huge set of balls on 'eem
i dare you to punch the fucker upside the head

catefrances

crazypjfan wrote:

catefrances wrote:

crazypjfan wrote:

Who the fuck wants weeds in their yard? Weird....

theyre just plants. i see no reason to kill them just cause soemone has decided theyre weeds.

I should take a picture of my neighbors yard and send it to you. I am sure that you'll change your mind while trying to locate his house behind the 'plants'. lol

im not talking unkempt yards. you mow your yard then anything be it grass or weeds is gonna get the chop. alls im saying is why obsess with removing weeds when theyre plants too. sure if you dont like weeds get rid of them, i have no problem with the ones in my yard. im more concerned with the 60 foot norfolk pine that just ripped my water pipe in half.

catefrances

chadwick

catefrances wrote:

this would drive my neighbors mad.
it's insane how something so harmless
and pretty can cause such a stir.

a multi-million dollar chemical industy is going strong due to the dislike of a yellow flower plant.

YourDirtisMyfood

Ill take dandelions over craneflies.

81

next spring, i'm going to bag up all my weeds and hire speedy to deliver tham to our buddy chad.

chadwick

81 wrote:

next spring, i'm going to bag up all my weeds and hire speedy to deliver tham to our buddy chad.

speedy doesnt know how to leave chicago in a big truck; he doesnt go anywhere!
remember, the northwest is a few days drive from the windy city.

81

chadwick wrote:

81 wrote:

next spring, i'm going to bag up all my weeds and hire speedy to deliver tham to our buddy chad.

speedy doesnt know how to leave chicago in a big truck; he doesnt go anywhere!
remember, the northwest is a few days drive from the windy city.

i'll fed ex them then