Lawn & Turf Tips:  Chinch Bugs

Hairy Chinch Bugs

Damage

Chinch bugs have piercing mouth parts. They suck the sap from the crown and stems of turf grass plants while inserting chemicals that clog the vascular system. Populations of chinch bugs tend to be aggregated which initially results in localized dead patches. These dead areas are brown, irregular sunken patches, which can coalesce into larger dead areas. All common turf grass

species are susceptible to chinch bug feeding but some varieties may be more susceptible to chinch bug injury. However, research has shown that turf cultivars containing high levels of endophytic fungi show some resistance to chinch bug feeding.

If lawns are suspected of having chinch bug infestations, this can be accurately determined using the following method:

• obtain a large, circular can (a coffee can works well)
• cut out the bottom and the top to form a cylinder and force this into the turf
• fill the cylinder with water, the chinch bugs will soon float
• to the surface where they can be seen

On a lawn which has little or no damage, ten of these samples should be taken throughout the entire lawn. If more than 20 chinch bugs are found per cylinder, treatment is advised. On lawns where damage is visible, samples should be taken in the healthy grass near the dead patches.

Control

Because chinch bugs tend to avoid light at the lawn surface and will crawl into crevices in the soil below, good penetration of the insecticide is essential. Treatment should precede rainfall if possible, or if this does not occur use a lawn sprinkler for an hour following application. Insecticides should be applied during the second week of July if chinch bugs are found in the lawn, or later when damage is first noticed. 

Read and follow the directions for use on the label of the insecticide container if applying the insecticide yourself or contact us, so we can verify your findings and apply the insecticide for you.