HELP!!! Leatherjackets (larvae of cranefly or daddylonglegs)

[Rimrogs]

We moved to a new house last September and I noticed there were a lot of craneflies about in the evenings. 'No big deal' I thought as the house was close to lots of high trees and I thought that could be the cause. By November, the lawn had been ruined by crows and magpies rolling back the turf to get at the grubs in the ground. I'm talking tens of square metres!!
I tried a 'natural' option of watering in the 'nemesis' bug but I'm not convinced it did any good - the lawn area is far too large.
I'm afraid the problem will be worse this year. There only seem to be references to banned chemicals on general gardening websites.
Any suggestions gratefully received as I can see a pair of crows just waiting for us to go out!!!

 

[JohnD]

Usually found in neglected turf. Mow it short so the birds can dig them out for you. You can roll it flat after they've finished if you want to, but if you let them dig out the grubs this year, it will not be so bad in future.