Advice required disappearing lawn due to leatherjackets!!!!

[firstmum45]

I have a strip of lawn down the side of my house 30ft long only about 1.5m wide and it has disappeared. Last year it was thick and lush (new house turf laid in 2004)

The front lawn is bald and the edges around the back garden are nonesistent.

The cause is leatherjackets. What should I do?

Is re turfing a waste of money because I think the leatherjackets will return this year. There are other gardens around me with the same problem.

Should I forget grass and try an alternative.
My neighbour opposite has had a reputable lawn company in to advise over the last year they have had 2 treatments to kill them and four feed and weeds but their lawn is no better they are considering digging it up.

I do not really want to lose the grass but do not know what to do for the best?

You can get nematodes to control them, although it won't wipe them out completely and you will probably need to do all your neighbours at the same time. The only thing is, according to this website, you can't use them until August so it'll be towards the end of the summer before you can even start using them. Here's the link.