Creating A Healthy Lawn That Resists Damage
At the end of the day, the hope is to prevent as many of these issues as you can. While some pest problems are unavoidable, spotting them early will make a world of difference in terms of how your lawn fares.On top of that, implementing a lawn care program that helps to produce a thick and healthy lawn will also help you to resist pests naturally. When your lawn is already thinned out and struggling, any damage from insects is really going to show . Along with that, you should know that a thick layer of thatch can actually attract chinch bugs. So, to prevent these pests in the first place, keeping that thatch layer in check is important.
When you take these steps, you can be successful in maintaining a healthy and thriving lawn, even when there are pests out there that try to destroy it! You can stop bugs from eating your grass by partnering with a professional who will have your back. At Master Lawn, we want you to be able to feel confident in knowing we will help get your pest problem under control before it gets serious. Instead of worrying about bugs causing you trouble, you can get back to enjoying your lawn to the fullest.Want to feel confident that lawn insects wont destroy your Memphis, TN lawn? Talk to a lawn care expert, choose from 3 program options, and become the master of your lawn.
The Lawn Pest Control Specialist Of Orlando Fl
Consider hiring a professional if you feel like you have tried everything, but the chinch bugs keep coming back. Active Environmental is the lawn pest control specialist in the Orlando area. We can keep your lawn healthy to prevent chinch bugs or kill them off your lawn for good. Active Environmental takes care of all of your lawns needs. Contact us for your quote today!
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Keeping Chinch Bugs Away From Your Grass
After youve started diminishing the population slowly but surely, you can start to take measures to ensure that they dont come back and infest your lawn all over again.
The first thing you should do is to remove the layer of grass that lies on the soil. This is the layer thats often referred to as the thatch, which takes up about ¾ of an inch and builds up over time.
Chinch bugs like to take shelter here and getting rid of this layer will definitely help stop them from coming back again. You can use an aerator for lawn aerating shoes. These tools will easily get rid of the thatch and keep the chinch bugs out.
You should also practice good lawn care by making sure to keep the grass trimmed and apply compost, manure, and other supplements to help bring back the damaged areas.
Use a good quality fertilizer and aged manure to help bring your lawn back quickly from chinch bug damage.
Practice mowing your lawn at least once a week to keep the clippings short which will keep the thatch layer in check.
During the summer months, keep your lawn hydrated well but dont water too much or else youll easily attract more pets. Also, keep track of when you water- its best to do so during the evening to avoid shocking the lawn from burns.
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Performing A Chinch Bug Float Test
You will need a few key materials to perform a chinch bug float test:
- A garden hose
- Hose end sprayer
- A tin can or coffee container
Section off a square yard of grass where you assume chinch bugs are hiding . Stick your canister into the soil, making sure to remove both sides and create a hollow tube. Next, use the hose-end sprayer to fill the canister at least 3/4 of the way with water. Maintain that water level for at least 10 minutes, adding more as necessary. Chinch bugs float to the top of the canister, allowing you to manually count their numbers. The usual threshold for treating your lawn is 15 bugs per square foot. However, you may want to begin treatments immediately if your lawn looks stressed or bare.
In any case, chinch bug control is necessary to halt the growth and spread of pests in the lawn.
Lawn Maintenance To Prevent Chinch Bugs
One of the best ways to prevent having a problem with Chinch bugs is to have a lawn maintenance regime that reduces the possibility of the bugs gaining a foothold and thus ensuring healthy turf. Regular lawn maintenance helps prevent chinch bugs from becoming an issue. Mowing regularly keeps grass close together so that chinch bugs cannot get into the grass. Regular fertilization helps keep the grass healthy and green.
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How To Manage Chinch Bug Infestations
Once you spot red and black chinch bugs, you will immediately want to get started on removing them. For eco-mindful gardeners, we understand that spreading harmful insecticides on your lawn is less than optimal. Fortunately, there are a plethora of organic, healthy ways to kill chinch bugs and prevent them from coming back.
Water Plants In The Early Morning
Why? Well, plants primarily need water to help with photosynthesis, which occurs during the day. Also, if you water later in the day, the leaves will be damp during the cooler nighttimean ideal condition for promoting fungus and other diseases. When you do water, soak the roots rather than getting the foliage wet. Soaker or drip hoses are a good investment. Follow these tips to conserve water in the garden.
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Does Vinegar Keep Bugs Away
Vinegar is one of the best ingredients to make a pest control spray. It is effective in repelling ants, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and many others. Creating a mix is quite simple and is considered safe for humans and pets. You can deter bugs, especially spiders, from entering your home with white vinegar.
Why Systemics Are Better For Lawn Care Than Pyrethroids
While pyrethroids or contact insecticides work for chinch bug control you have to make an application come back in a week inspect for chinch bugs and nymphs and re spray if you find any, come back in a week and do it again. This is the only way you can be sure you got control and then for how long. In addition to that chinch bugs are now resistant to many pyrethroids.
Systemics targets the chinch bug directly and indirectly, it acts as contact when the chinch bug come in contact with the insecticide but gives you long term control of nymphs and adult because it enter the plants vascular system through the roots. When a cinch bug is born it will have to feed on the plant which is contaminated with the pesticide, when it feeds that is its last meal. End of story.
With systemics you get long term control and quick knock down. In the past 6 years since we have used systemics we only get an average of 2 call backs per route per year.
We apply it every 2 months at the mid dose range. I put no trust in any product I trust in my knowledge, experience and expertise. I inspect, monitor and repeat to ensure the products are working.
We use and recommend Dominion 2L why because it works as well as any brand name systemic at a lower cost.
One 27.5 bottle is enough to treat 55,000 square feet at the mid level dose.
Order Dominion 2L Systemic Insecticide
Dominion 2L Termiticide/Insecticide
Enjoy a pest free lawn Cheers!
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What You Cant See Can Hurt You
Chinch bugs have a distinctive appearance, which would be great if it were easy to see them. Measuring approximately 1/5 long, chinch bugs have black bodies and white wings marked by a black triangle. Some can fly, while others have wings too short to allow it. But most importantly, all have piercing mouthparts that allow the chinch bug to not only suck sap from your grass, but also inject a toxin in the process.
These warm-weather-loving bugs are inactive in the winter, and begin reproduction come spring. One female can lay hundreds of eggs, which hatch in just a couple weeks. Like all babies, the nymphs have voracious appetites, accelerating damage to your lawn. Chinch bugs are especially fond of St. Augustine, but have also been known to nosh on zoysiagrass, centipedegrass, bahiagrass, and bermudagrass. The thicker the turf, the more attractive they find it.
Spot chinch bugs in your lawn by looking through a magnifying glass for wilting grass blades, yellow-brown spots, and dried areas.
What Time Of Year Do Chinch Bugs Damage Lawns
Chinch bugs emerge from winter hibernation in warm weather. Their numbers increase rapidly in the warmer months.The peak months for chinch bugs to cause problems in lawns are June through September. This is when the bugs are reproducing and feeding on vegetation.
In cooler climates, chinch bugs tend to move indoors to overwinter as adults. In warmer regions, however, they remain active throughout the winter.
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Spray Yourself With Bug Repellent
For protecting yourself from buzzing and bites, youll need a personal, body bug spray.
Gaughan suggests using a DEET repellent spray, which the Environmental Protection Agency states does not present a health concern for humans. This one from Bens claims to provide 10 hours of protection against tick and mosquito bites.
For a more natural solution, look toward a plant-based repellent like the oil of lemon eucalyptus. Gaughan recommends a spray like this one by Repelits DEET-free and provides protection without that sticky or greasy feeling.
Try Avons Skin So Soft Bath Oil, which is an old favorite among moms. It also has an interesting origin story as a bug repellentas in, it wasnt meant to be one. The bath oil has glowing reviews for keeping mosquitoes away.
How To Tell If You Have Chinch Bugs
The good news is that it is possible to seek and find chinch bugs if they decide to feast on your yard. The not so good news is that this task can be difficult due to the small size of the insect.
Because of this, it is best practice to examine your lawn as soon as you notice dry patches. We recommend using simply a magnifying glass and your bare hands. Since these little bugs do no harm to humans, there is no need to worry about getting bit. You can find the pesky insects best by spreading the grass near the soil on the outer edges of your lawn.
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My Personal 100% Risk
We are committed to offering the best lawn care service in Calgary. We strive to maintain the highest quality standards while continuing to meet and surpass customer expectations. We know you will love our company. If our work is not excellent, we will re-do the item in question for FREE. If you are still not satisfied, you dont owe us a penny. Your satisfaction is our priority.
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How To Eliminate Chinch Bugs In St Augustine Grass: Use A Pesticide
Learning how to eliminate chinch bugs is not difficult, but it requires using an effective pesticide that is designed for the job at hand. Apply a chinch bug preventative treatment in the spring before the insects become active. This will kill any eggs that havent hatched yet and help protect your yard against future chinch bug invasions.
If you already have an invasion, you can apply a chemical insecticide thats been designed to kill chinch bugs. Always read the label before using chemicals in your yard and follow the instructions exactly. Some substances will need to be applied a second time to ensure youve eliminated the chinch bugs entirely.
When using chemicals in your yard, you should keep pets and children out of the area for at least 24 hours. Its also wise to wear long sleeves and long pants during application. Dont apply chemicals on windy days, or they will be carried on the breeze to other areas. You should also only dispose of chemical products by following manufacturers instructions.
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What Does A Chinch Bug Look Like
The adult chinch bug is half an inch long. They are light-colored and have a black triangle in the middle along their shoulder . They also have crossed forewings with white markings.
The immature or newly-hatched chinch bugs are relatively smaller with no wings. They have red and white bands on their back. As the nymph goes through the developmental phase, the colors of the bands change to red, then brown, and then entirely black.
The entire chinch bug life cycle is three to four weeks long.
Adult chinch bugs come out from their winter hibernation phase around spring. When the air temperature reaches 70°F, they tend to mate.
Both adult and nymph chinch bugs will continue to eat grasses until fall arrives. This is when the adults hibernate by burrowing into plant debris.
How Do You Spot The Chinch Bugs
Before you know how to treat chinch bugs, you need to know their appearance. When these lawn bugs are young, they are red, but they turn black as they grow older.
Adults have white wings folded across their backs and are about 1/4 inch long. Chinch bugs take roughly 4 to 6 weeks to mature and adults have a white dot on their back.
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How To Detect Chinch Bugs And Get Rid Of Them
Chinch bugs are insects that feed by sucking the sap from the crown and stems of turf grasses. The adult is black with a white spot on their back between their wing pads and measures about 2 mm long. As for the immature chinch bug , it is bright red with distinctive white bands across its back. A severe infestation of these insects can go as far as destroying an entire lawn, so it is important to recognize them.
How To Kill Chinch Bugs
There are two major types of chinch bug control methods: cultural control and chemical control.
Cultural controls help you eliminate chinch bugs over time. Introducing beneficial insects, regular lawn treatments, and watering the lawn regularly are all cost-effective forms of treatment.
Chemical treatments reduce chinch bug activity through the use of wide-spectrum products. Although chemical treatment can be effective in early stages of an infestation, they will be more effective as the infestation worsens. It is recommended to rely on stronger chemicals, including Bifen IT and Demon WP, during the heat of summer.
How to Prevent Chinch Bugs From Entering Your Lawn
Heres how to get rid of chinch bugs long before they infest your lawn.
- Remove turf thatch from your lawn at least once per year. You can perform this task manually, or hire a professional for help.
- Water the lawn thoroughly during times of drought, particularly during the heat of summer.
- Ensure healthy grass by following fertilization recommendations for your location and grass species.
- Keep on the lookout for lawn diseases that make your property more susceptible to infestation.
- Consider annual pest control services for additional support, or yearly treatments that control chinch bugs with heavier product.
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How Do You Identify Chinch Bugs In Your Lawn
When chinch bugs suck out juices from plants, the affected area starts to show symptoms. You can identify these bugs by the appearance of small, irregular yellow patches in some areas of your lawn.
As the insects spread, these patches enlarge to 2 to 3 feet in diameter.
If your lawn has south-facing slopes or pavement borders, you will have a higher risk for a chinch bug bite or infestation.
These bugs become more of a nuisance in sunny and sandy areas with thick thatches.
Should I Be Concerned
Chinch bugs feed by sucking the sap from the crown and stems of turf grasses. They prefer bentgrasses, but will attack many other lawn grasses like bluegrass and varieties of red fescue.
The damage caused by chinch bugs appears quickly in hot weather. With most of the damage in open, sunny areas, this may be mistaken for drought damage.
Lawn damage shows up as irregular yellow patches, which begin in June and spread over the summer. The grass may turn brown and die if feeding continues unchecked, and a severe infestation of chinch bugs can destroy an entire lawn.
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What Chinch Bugs Look Like
Chinch bugs are easy to recognize but hard to see.
- Adults are about inch long with black bodies and white wings folded across their backs.
- Nymphs start out yellow, then turn red as they grow, eventually becoming black as they reach maturity.
- Chinch bugs mature in about 4 to 6 weeks.
- Telltale white stripe across their bodies.
S To Control Chinch Bugs Florida
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2 Steps To Control Chinch Bugs Florida first is to correctly identify you have chinch bugs and second is to select the right insecticide to control it.
If you have a St Augustine lawn in Florida you will get chinch bug its not a mater of if but how often.
The southern chinch bug, Blissus insularis its scientific name is a common insect pest of St. Augustinegrass.
This tiny pest is responsible for millions of dollars in lawn damage per year, as homeowners and commercial property managers seek to control chinch bug outbreaks by applying insecticides or replacing damaged grass.Southern chinch bug was first found in the United States in Orange County, NC in 1783 and ever since then chinch bug has become a notorious pest throughout the southern United States.
The southern chinch bug seams to have an affinity for St. Augustine grass and is the second most expensive plant feeding pest in Florida.
Southern chinch bug thrives in the warm wet summer months and infestations peak during early July. The southern chinch bug will sometimes overwinter in a temporary dormant state in northern Florida,
The southern chinch bug usually stays active during the winter sheltered around the roots and base of St. Augustinegrass. The southern chinch bug does not need to leave its feeding ground thus the spring infestations often begin where the pest injury stopped the preceding season.
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