Lawn Invasion – Chinch Bugs

Bugs – they are a part of your lawn whether you can see them or not. Some are good for your lawn. Others are not. When a pest that isn’t good for your lawn starts to damage your green grass, you may need to eliminate it.

Chinch bugs (Blissus leucopterus hirtus) are a type of lawn pest that can become quite a problem in the Pennsylvania area. Chinch bugs love to dine on grasses, especially grasses that get a lot of hot and dry weather. That means summertime is primetime for them to do their damage.

When the chinch bugs feed on you grass they are take away the fluids of the grass and replace it with a toxin that causes the grass to die. If you have an infestation of chinch bugs, you will start to see brown patches in your lawn in a short amount of time.

How Do I Know if I Have Chinch Bugs?

Chinch bugs are tiny. It is unlikely that you will casually happen upon them. Chinch bugs that have yet to mature start out very small and yellow, then become red in color. As adults, they are approximately 1/6 inch in length and have black bodies with white wings.

You can in look closely at your grass and see if you can see these tiny little bugs, although it will involve a lot of careful inspection on your part. There is also a special collection methods you can try. You will need a tin can with both the top and the bottom cut off. Insert one end of the can into the lawn. Pour water into the can keep water in the can for 10 minutes. If your lawn is infested with chinch bugs they will float to the surface of the can.

So You Have Chinch Bugs – Now What?

If the last thing you want to do is deal with more bugs, you can try chemical insecticides to get rid of chinch bugs. But because these are chemicals it is important that you thoroughly read the instructions, and keep in mind that chinch bugs are not the only bugs that live on your property and you may be killing the bugs that are beneficial to your lawn.

Green Lawn Fertilizing has years of experience in handling lawn disease and infestations, and we know what will work best for your lawn and your lifestyle. Call us today at 855-469-0692 for a free estimate.