Chinch Bug Damage Damage Identification
A lawn infested with southern chinch bug will display discolored patches which are usually in a circular in pattern this is most often confused with brown patch fungus.
The injury typically will occur first in areas the are water stressed, along the edges of the lawn or grass growing in full sunlight.
In infested lawn southern chich bugs will distribute vertically from the turf thatch down into the upper organic layer of soil. When Southern chinch bug infetations are high, the chinch bugs can be seen running over the grass blades.
Southern chinch bug mainly feed in the area of the plant between the turf thatch and the organic soil level.
Large numbers of chinch bug nymphs and adults will gather at the base of one plant, as they feed, chinch bugs will drain the sap from the grass until it withers, turning from a healthy green color to a brown-yellow color, and finally dies Once the feeding group has killed one section of grass stolons, they move as a unit to the next adjacent stolon, continuing their destruction of the lawn.
How To Prevent A Future Appearance Of Chinch Bugs
The key to preventing chinch bug infestation is to aerate and dethatch the soil. Thatch is a well-loved place for chinch bugs. By getting rid of the excess, you greatly reduce the chances of them moving into your home.
Then, since chinch bugs prefer dry soil, water properly and regularly to keep the soil moist throughout the season.
If you think you have a chinch bug problem, contact your Nutrite Expert! They will know how to get rid of them effectively and prevent their appearance next year.
How To Prevent Lawn Insects Without Using Chemicals
Following the 1-2-3-2-1 lawn watering recommendations is one of the most important steps to preventing insect pressure in lawns. Improper lawn watering practices are the main cause of 99% of lawn insect pressures. The most effective defense to infestations is to maintain proper lawn care cultural practices, such as proper lawn mowing techniques, the use of organic lawn fertilizers instead of chemical lawn fertilizers, proper lawn watering , core aeration, and avoiding the use of chemicals.
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White Grubs Japanese Beetle Grubs
Due to irrigation, White grubs are becoming more common a major problem for lawns in Colorado. White grubs feed on grass roots, which result in large brown spots in the turf. The damaged turf can be easily peeled up from the soil surface as if it was a freshly laid piece of sod.
Most lawns have a few white grubs in them, but suffer no visible damage. When population are high, however, large areas of turf can be killed. The presence of grubs can also be revealed by foraging raccoons and skunks which will dig up large sections of lawns overnight in search of this favored food.
Controlling white grubs can be accomplished by allowing the soil to dry out during the month of July. Grubs will only lay their eggs in soil that is moist or wet. Lawns that are being watered according to the 1-2-3-2-1 lawn watering technique rarely are attacked by grubs, because the soil dries out between lawn watering.
By the time damage become noticeable, grubs are often so large and it is more difficult to kill them with insecticides. When grub activity is occurring an application of a special insecticide called Acelapryn is very effective in controlling grubs. We have a dedicated web page with more information about grubs and the best ways to control them.
Chemical Control Of Chinch Bugs
Chinch bugs are now a huge problem because they have developed a resistance to insecticides. In the past the only type of pesticides that where available where contact insecticides usually pyrethroides.
This class of insecticide kills the insects on contact but require multiple of applications to break the life cycle and kill the nymphs and adults because most cannot kill the egg the insect hatch shortly after a chemical application but the insecticide is no longer there. I you just made one application or had a pest control company make only one spray chance are you sprayed but you did not achieve control.
I our business we use exclusively systemic insecticides for our lawn care program.
Most will disagree with this practice but when you manage hundreds of thousands of square feet of lawn all in different parts of a city you dont have the time nor the luxury to wait until the customer calls you to inspect and to re-spray there lawn. Customers pay for control not sprays and call backs destroy profits and the confidence your customer has in you.
Unless you are an onsite technician or a golf course superintendent you will not be there everyday to inspect that lawn for the first sign of trouble. Therefore you cannot expect what you do not inspect.
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How To Stop Further Chinch Bug Infestations
Once you have eliminated a chinch bug infestation, you want to prevent further invasions of the pesky critters. Here are a few preventative activities that you can do to prevent future infestations.
What Do The Bugs Look Like
Chinch bugs are very small black insects. Some have bright orange stripes with a broad upper thorax. Others are narrower with white wings and a white spot on their backs. They can sometimes be seen crawling along the surface of the damaged turf, but not always.
If you are suspicious that this is the cause of dried out grass patches in your yard, theres a trick you can do to help verify. Put a bit of dirt into a can with water, and then stir it. This will cause the miniscule bugs to rise to the top.
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How To Treat Billbugs
Since this area of your lawn is already damaged due to billbugs, you can pull up some of the patchy grass, so that you can reach deeper in the soil to determine the level of infestation. Remember, billbugs will be lingering on top in the spring, late summer and fall, and will be deeper in the ground during the winter.
If your lawn condition is in good health, it will be able to resist a population of nine or few billbug grubs, so youve got nothing to worry about. But it is recommended that you do try to get rid of them, as they lay eggs that hatch into larvae quickly.
If you have a small infestation of billbug infestation, you should take some proactive measures to keep your lawn healthy and well-maintained such as mowing the grass regularly, keeping it fertilized, and watering it well to prevent new growth.
If your lawn is not in good health, it will probably be able to sustain five or fewer billbug grubs per square foot, which is when you seriously need to give some thought to treating the issue. If there are any more than the aforementioned number of billbug grubs, you will have to treat your lawn immediately to prevent any additional damage.
Dethatch And Aerate Your Lawn
A good layer of thatch is always beneficial to your lawn, but if youre having billbug issues, dethatching your lawn is a great solution. A thick layer of thatch serves as a welcome environment for billbug eggs and grubs, so removing this layer will also get rid of billbugs and any eggs and grubs that may be present.
The best time to aerate lawns is during early fall or early spring, which will also injure or kill billbug grubs that are present on the surface of the soil.
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How To Treat Chinch Bugs Without Chemicals
This article was co-authored by Andrew Carberry, MPH. Andrew Carberry has been working in food systems since 2008. He has a Masters in Public Health Nutrition and Public Health Planning and Administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.There are 24 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 98% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 254,845 times.
True chinch bug adults are about ” long, and usually black with white wings .XResearch source If left alone, the chinch bugs will suck the sap out of your grass, leaving solid yellow patches on your lawn.XResearch source Natural methods of pest control and lawn health maintenance are an excellent response to chinch bugs. Non-organic pesticides can kill the chinch bugs’ predators and lead to second infestation later.
How Often Should You Treat For Chinch Bugs
chinch bugsTreat
. Similarly, it is asked, do chinch bugs come back every year?
Chinch bugs reproduce quickly a female can produce about 300 eggs in 40 days. Because they are rapid reproducers, there are two to three generations of chinch bugs every year. It doesn’t take long for these pests to reach populations as large as 200 bugs per square foot.
Also, what does grass look like with chinch bugs? You may also see chinch–bug nymphs, which range from pink to red and have a white stripe across their middles. Grass attacked by chinch bugs looks like grass suffering from drought. Along your driveway and sidewalks, your grass blades wilt, turn yellow-brown, then dry out and die.
Similarly, you may ask, what is the best product to kill chinch bugs?
Chinch Bug Control
- Talstar Pro Insecticide Concentrate 96 oz
- TriStar 8.5 SL.
- Talstar Pro Insecticide Concentrate 96 oz 754968cs.
- Talstar 67759 Professional 96oz Insecticide, 3/4_Gallon, Clear.
- Talstar One Termiticide Insecticide Bottles-1 pint.
- SPECTRACIDE Mosquito Stop Concentrate 32 Ounces.
- FMC Talstar PL Granules.
Can chinch bugs be transferred by lawn mowers?
Mowers cannot transport chinch bugs from one site to another because the chinch bugs don’t get on the grass blades.
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How To Avoid Chinch Bug Lawn Damage
May 1, 2021 | Chinch Bugs
Chinch bugs attack only one type of lawn, and thats St. Augustine grass, the most common turf used in our area. In many parts of Florida, controlling chinch bugs is a year round effort. For Northern Florida, chinch bugs are most common March November when warm, sunny conditions increases chinch bug activity.
Since chinch bugs feed on and kill the grass, a homeowners first sign of chinch bugs is usually the appearance of round yellow or dying patches of grass in their lawn. As their host plant dies, chinch bugs move to neighboring grass plants to continue feeding creating dead patches that get larger over time. How fast the dead patches grow depends on the chinch bug infestation and overall health of the lawn.
Chinch bug damage may occur in open, sunny areas near sidewalks and driveways, but also in the middle of lawns. The damage is often confused with drought or frost stress. Other factors, such as disease, nematodes, nutritional imbalances, and drought can cause off-color areas to occur in lawns. Thus, the grass should be carefully examined to determine which corrective measures may be needed.
Controlling chinch bug populations begins by properly mowing your lawn and minimizing the amount of thatch. During grass growing season, mow your lawn weekly with a sharp lawnmower blade. If the thatch becomes too think speak with your lawn care service about having your lawn aerated.
Relevant News
Identify Lawn Bugs And Pests And Learn How To Deal With Them
There are a few different types of insect that become a ‘pest’ when they invade your lawn in large numbers. Some can do significant damage very quickly and therefore need to be treated as soon as you notice signs of their presence.
With this in mind, finding bugs and worms in your lawn isnt always a sign that there is a problem, in fact it can mean that your lawn is thriving! Learning to identify the problem bugs is the best way to ensure rapid and appropriate treatment without further damage to your lawn. Things like ants, spiders and worms, although annoying, are unlikely to damage your lawn.
The one pest we come across most frequently in South Australia is the black beetle and its earlier, more damaging, larvae stage more commonly known as grubs. Dont worry, there is a great trick to identify grubs in your lawn and a few good treatment options too!
If youre unsure, you can send us a photo of your damaged lawn and any bugs you find and we can help you identify them!
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How To Recognize Chinch Bugs Damage Your Lawn
You can find chinch bugs within the thatch layer . However, when there is a large population, they can be found resting on leaf blades or crawling across the lawn.
Chinch bug damage looks similar to how the grass looks under drought stress. The infected patches gradually turn yellow, then brown until they slowly die. After the grass dies, weeds will begin filling in the area. People often confuse Chinch bug damage with brown patch fungus or other lawn diseases.
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.
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If It Bites You It Bugs Us
Many insects can destroy your lawn, find crevices to sneak inside your home, or even pose health risks to your loved ones. Dont let your property become a living space for unwanted critters. From lawn pest control to outdoor mosquito and tick control to prevent bugs like ants and centipedes from invading your home, Lawn Doctor has your back.
Our most popular insect and pest control services include:
Mosquito and Tick Control
Mosquitoes and ticks arent just annoying they could also make you sick. From West Nile to Lyme disease, mosquitoes and ticks have the potential to carry a variety of serious diseases. Its time to protect your family and pets from these possible dangers with Mosquito and Tick control from Lawn Doctor.
The Yard Armour Mosquito and Tick Control Services target mosquitoes and ticks where they live, breed, and set up their attack sites. We spray the bottom side of leaves where mosquitoes sleep. As they settle on to the treated leaves, the product gets absorbed through their feet. Tall grassy weeds are sprayed to target ticks, as this is the prime area for them to perch while waiting to grab on to a new host. These are a few of the Mosquito and Tick Control tactics Lawn Doctor uses to make your yard a safer environment for your family and pets.
Learn more about Yard Armour Mosquito and Tick Control services here.
Perimeter Pest Control
Learn more about our Perimeter Pest Control services here.
Lawn Insect Control
The Best Time Of Year To Treat For Chinch Bugs In St Augustine Lawns
The best recipe for controlling chinch bugs, a destructive St. Augustine grass insect pest, involves vigilance and management. Chinch bug-resistant grass varieties make it possible to confidently install chinch bug-free lawns, but full replacement of an existing lawn is economically impractical. Cultural methods diminish the damage although year-round observation with early detection remains the best and least expensive strategy. The most effective time of year to treat is the moment you determine their presence and this generally occurs in the summer.
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How To Test For Chinch Bug Using The Flotation Method
Get a coffee can remove the bottom of a metal coffee so you can insert the can into the ground in the area surrounding the discolored grass concentrating on the perimeter of the injured spots, to ensure proper diagnosis as the chich bugs will move away from the dead areas to feed on live grass.
Use a knife, shovel to dig out the edges around the can in the soil of the can so you can push the can down about 3 inches into the soil.
With a garden hose fill the can with water continuously for five minutes.
If you have chinch bugs they will float to the top of the water. Repeat this method at least four times throughout the discolored area.
Method 2 Much is much simpler if you know what a chinch bug looks like
Find the area of damage go to the edge where the dead grass meets the green grass, go in between 1 to 6 inches into the green part and pull apart the grass look through the thatch into the soil area, if there are chinch bugs you will see them running about quickly.
Repeat this process 3 to 5 times to confirm. This takes no more than 2 minutes to perform. This is the method I use.
