![]() ![]() Pest control companies have a broader arsenal of pesticides to choose from, which may be needed to get this pest under control. Frequent pesticide treatments could increase chinch bug numbers because they may develop pesticide resistance, plus the pesticides will kill beneficial insects. Instead of treating the entire lawn, treat the damaged spots and a 5-foot buffer area of healthy lawn. A correctly applied application should provide control of chinch bugs for eight to 10 weeks if conditions are ideal. Make sure to follow label directions as they may require that the product be watered in to assure contact with the chinch bugs. Examples of pesticides labeled for homeowner use include Bifenthrin, Imidacloprid and Permethrin (active ingredients). If the lawn is dying and chinch bugs are numerous (threshold for treatment is 25 per square foot), apply a pesticide. Augustine varieties, and remove no more than one-third of the lawn at each mowing. Mow lawns at the proper height, 3 to 4 inches for standard St. If thatch is a problem, it must be manually removed through verticutting or power raking. Lawns with excessive thatch feel spongy when you walk on them. Thatch is a layer of rhizomes, stems and dead roots between the live plant and the soil. Then dump the contents onto a light-colored surface like a concrete sidewalk and look for adult chinch bugs.Įxcessive fertilization, fungicide use and watering can lead to heavy thatch layers, which provide protection from pesticide applications. Another option is to use a hand-held vacuum to suck up insects near damaged areas. In the soil, if sandy, you may need to add more water to keep the level elevated. Wait about five minutes to see if chinch bugs float to the surface. Twist and push the bottom end of the can an inch or two into the soil and fill the can with water. Use a knife to cut the grass runners around the bottom edge of the can. Place one end of the can on the grass where the grass is just beginning to turn yellow. Use a metal can such as a 3-pound coffee can with both ends cut out. ![]() If chinch bugs are not found using this method, try using the water flush technique. Inspect the lawn close to the soil surface of the healthy grass adjacent to the damaged areas. To find these small insects, one must get close and personal with your lawn as I described earlier. Left untreated, these areas get bigger as chinch bugs span out in search of their next meal. The majority of damage occurs from April through September. These injured areas are often more prone to injury because they are in hot spots along concrete or asphalt paved areas, or in water-stressed areas where the grass is growing in full sun. At first, the grass simply grows slower, then turns yellow and later dies in small patches. They damage grass by sucking out plant juices through their strawlike beak while injecting a toxin. Augustine grass, they will also feed on other grass species. ![]() A few small dead areas like the ones I described can quickly spread, killing large lawn sections that are quite costly to replace.Īlthough chinch bugs prefer St. On the contrary, hot and dry weather is ideal for pests like chinch bugs. But it's important to inspect lawns and landscape plants on a weekly basis because pests don't take a vacation. Maybe someone else mows your lawn and weeds your plant beds so there is no reason to venture out. It's really hot outside, which makes it easy to retreat to our air-conditioned environment and ignore yardwork. While parting the grass I looked closely at the base of the grass and along the soil surface and saw tiny black bugs trying to find cover. Then dropping down on all fours, I started looking at the lawn surrounding the dead areas. I put on my detective hat and checked the grass surrounding those areas, but they did not look drought stressed. The spots were straw brown and the grass blades were folded up like they were not getting any water. While mowing the lawn last weekend, I noticed several somewhat circular brown areas about the size of a dinner plate in the back yard next to a walkway. ![]()
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