A video of a “garden nightmare” that unfolded on a once grassy lawn has gone viral on .
The scene was captured in a viral video shared by and has amassed more than 7.8 million views since it was posted on April 12. A hashtag shared with the post says that the lawn is set in a new-build home. The property is based in the United Kingdom, the poster told Newsweek.
A message overlaid on the clip reads, “What it looked like before. So fluffy and green,” as the footage shows a patch of lush green grass in the backyard of a home.
“Then the leatherjackets came… and now, this is what it looks like,” another note adds, as the video shows a dirt-filled lawn looking dry and barren, dotted by a few bits of grass. A caption shared with the post simply reads: “Send help.”
Screengrabs from a video posted by @charleymaryy on TikTok showing what happened to a lush green lawn. The poster’s footage of when “the leatherjackets came” has gone viral.
@charleymaryy on TikTok
What Are Leatherjackets?
Leatherjackets, which are the larvae of crane flies, can “, small plants in garden borders and vegetable plots by eating roots,” says the Royal Horticultural Society in the U.K.
Damp conditions favor the survival of eggs and larvae, so leatherjackets are often more prevalent following a wet autumn. Britain is home to around 350 species of leatherjackets, and many are uncommon or rare. “A few species feed on l, and a small number of these may cause damage in gardens,” according to the RHS.
“There are currently no pesticide controls for leatherjackets in lawns or soil that can be applied by ,” the RHS adds.
Leatherjackets can be controlled in lawns, flower beds and vegetable plots. Pathogenic nematodes are watered into the turf or soil, and they infect the leatherjackets with a bacterial disease.
“However, by the time damage becomes apparent, the soil may be too cold for nematodes to be effective,” the RHS says.
‘Absolute Nightmare’
Several users on TikTok could relate to the scene in the latest viral clip.
Paul James wrote: “Absolute nightmare for us as well in our new build. The back of our garden is just a swamp now so just done the nematodes today. Fingers crossed!!! Will update if it’s been successful or not.”
CrazyCatLady noted: “Our first year in our house the lawn looked like that. I rented a rototiller and fluffed up all the soil and went crazy turning it into a garden and planting all kinds of ground cover.”
Kelly Medina Enos wrote: “Everyone saying new build…we aren’t in a new build and we have them. But we did get new turf last year which I believe is the problem.”
User jackstay agreed, saying: “Leatherjackets are usually found rolled up in new turf, so if you don’t get rid of them before you lay, you’re just helping the process.”
“This is why we put artificial grass down at my house,” posted c2official15.
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Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.