[LivvyW]

My knowledgeable other half tells me that the orangey 1" long grubs with a fat head and sort of fangs that i found in the soil, is a daddy long legs larvae.

It looked like a nastly little fellow, do they do any harm to my veggies or are they of any benefit.

Basically do i say hello when i see them or squish them with my boot?

[richyrich7]

We call 'em leather jackets  they nibble roots, stamp on 'em hard

[Aunt Sally]

This is them:

[richyrich7]

And my chooks love 'em  

[LivvyW]

would they eat fruit bush roots? saw them where i planted my lidl's blackcurrents

[richyrich7]

would they eat fruit bush roots? saw them where i planted my lidl's blackcurrents

As far as I know they prefer grass roots they are a major pest in lawns, if your plots relatively new to you and been weedy that's probably why they are there.

[Pete C]

would they eat fruit bush roots? saw them where i planted my lidl's blackcurrents

As far as I know they prefer grass roots they are a major pest in lawns, if your plots relatively new to you and been weedy that's probably why they are there.

Is there anything that can be doen about them, or just dig and stamp?

[Aunt Sally]

Starlings dig them up.

[richyrich7]

Commercial lawns get treated, but I think it kills every insect in the soil, just dig and stamp would be the best bet. As the ground becomes cultivated birds will spot some and eat, and there will be less food for them so you will eradicate them eventually.

[Salmo]

The crane flies lay their eggs on grass in August/September. They hatch into leatherjackets and live on roots for a year and emerge the next August/September. Kill all you see. If you have grass paths they will creep out and eat young vegetable roots. I doubt if they will harm your bushes.