Widely distributed throughout the United States, there are several species of chinch bugs that are damaging to turfgrass. They are usually found on drought-stressed lawns where they puncture grasses with their needle-like beaks and suck the fluids out. This can obviously dry out your grass and make it impossible to keep your lawn lusciously green.
Adult chinch bugs are about 1/8 inch in length, and are most easily found by looking in the grass and under leaves at the border between healthy and damaged grass. But, don’t be too confident, these creatures are still difficult to see. If you are on a chinch bug hunt, you should look first in sunny areas or in grass next to sources of radiant heat, such as a driveway. A common way to check for pest populations is the flotation method.
The Flotation Method
Take a six-inch-diameter coffee can and remove both ends. You then want to place the coffee can part way into the ground and leave the exposed end filled with water. Insects living in the thatch and grass will eventually float to the surface, where they can be identified and counted. It is then that you can see how many chinch bugs there are in living in your lawn. If there is a large amount of these creatures, it is best to find a pest removal services. Too many of these insects can spell up trouble for your lawn and dry out any other vegetation on your property.
If you begin to see large, irregular brown patches on your lawn this is a signal that the chinch bug population has gone out of control. These patches often begin on the edges of lawns and will continue to get larger, even when properly watered. Damage occurs most frequently during hot, dry weather from June through September.
Fortunately, there are several chemical controls for chinch bugs. You can quickly eradicate up to 90 percent of the population within two-to-five days. Contact your local pest control company to help save your lawn from insect populations growing out of control.