Many plants and shrubs in the garden are susceptible to harm from insects and other pests but fortunately lawns are fairly resilient. But there are one or two garden critters that can stop your lawn looking that picture of health. Autumn lawn care should always include a careful check for the presence of any these harmful creatures before they take hold.

The main problem creature is known as the leatherjacket. This principal problem pest for autumn lawns is the larval state of the common Daddy Long Legs, more accurately known as the Crane fly. The Leatherjacket larva live just below the surface of the lawn and feeds on the roots of your grass. If you don't put a timely stop to their activities and a serious infestation takes hold, your lawn will quickly start to look decidedly unwell and could easily end up a mass of brown areas. If you notice a large number of birds pecking at your lawn, that may be an indication that you have a Leatherjacket infestation. Use the activity of the birds to guide you to the areas that may need to be treated –the birds will be busy scratching away at the lawn surface to get to the larva just below.

Chafer Grubs can be another problem for autumn lawns. The chafer grub is the larval state of the Cockchafer beetle. They also live just in the upper surface of lawns, but don't cause as much damage, nor are they as prolific as their cousins. However, if left unchecked they can become a nuisance as they also damage the root system of your grass. Look for the same telltale signs as Leatherjacket damage.

Ants may not be an obvious threat to a lawn, however ant colonies can be vast, underground networks, although they tend to build their nests on the edges of lawns rather than in the middle. There are plenty of treatments available on the market for getting rid of ant colonies, but expect to have to treat any nests more than once to get rid of large infestations. The old wives tale of pouring boiling water into the nest does work to an extent, but is unlikely to work on a more established network. With ants, it is a matter of striking a balance as although in numbers they can be a pest, a small colony can actually be a friend to the gardener, taking organic matter deeper into the lawn and attracting other beneficial animals to your garden.

One problem most gardeners fear is moles. Moles are well known as the bane of all lawn lovers. These burrowing mammals can be a huge problem, excavating underneath the lawn as they hunt for grubs and worms below the surface. Moles can inflict long term damage and are often difficult to get ride of. Over the years various mole traps have been tried, but are rarely successful. If you have a mole problem, the quickest solution could be to call in a mole expert as early as possible.