Juveniles are a red color but as they grow, they turn brown and white before becoming black with a. This lawn pest can be very difficult to spot because they’re so small: fully-grown adults are only around a quarter of an inch long. A length of 6 to 7.5 cm (2.5 to 3 inches) will help avoid stressing the grass. Chinch bugs are tiny bugs that move from lawn to lawn in residential areas, leaving destruction in their wake.

Keep soil moist to a depth of 6 to 8 cm (2.5 to 3.5 inches).

Water the lawn thoroughly (but not more than once a week) during the summer.

Using 1 kg of nitrogen per 100 m2 (approximately 2 lb per 1000 ft2) should be enough for most lawns. Very small and fast-moving, they tend to blend in with grass and scurry away when disturbed.

Use water-insoluble or slow-release nitrogen fertilizers.

Do not over-fertilize, since this will encourage greater insect activity.Keep in mind that some thatch may be needed to prevent winterkill in cold regions. Remove thick layers of thatch (organic debris on the surface of the soil) in the fall.Aerate the lawn in spring to reduce soil compaction. Chinch bugs use their piercing mouthparts to suck moisture from grass blades, then inject a poison into the blades that interrupts water movement within the grass, causing the grass to die.If replanting grass, choose an insect-resistant, endophytic variety of tall fescue or rye grass (endophytes are naturally occurring fungi that kill lawn pests, including chinch bugs).Some helpful practices include the following: Maintaining your lawn properly will discourage infestations and improve tolerance to damage. However, turf that is in poor condition or stressed by hot, dry weather may not tolerate even a low-level infestation.Ĭhinch bugs like poorly tended lawns with compacted soils, accumulations of thatch, and a lack of moisture or an excess of nitrogen. Turfgrass stressed by environmental conditions or improper care is much more vulnerable to chinch bugs than healthy grass. Healthy turf should be able to tolerate a level of two or three bugs per can. If there are five to 10 chinch bugs per can, the infestation is serious enough to damage turf. Try this in several areas of the lawn, including lawn edges.Although most damaging in Gulf Coast regions and in the. If you have chinch bugs, they will float to the top of the can. The southern chinch bug, is one of the most important insect pests of St. Fill the can with soapy water, adding more water if the level recedes.Cut the bottom out of a coffee can or large juice can and force it 5 cm (two inches) into the turf surface.Use this method in cases where the bugs are not readily visible:.These bugs avoid the light and may hide in soil crevices. Spread the grass and check the soil surface for red nymphs or black adult chinch bugs.If your lawn has a noticeable odour when walked on, you could have a large infestation.

Chinch bugs give off an offensive odour when crushed.There are several ways to confirm an infestation:

Cinch bugs