Down in the south turf can have a tuff time staying green and healthy. Heat, drought, excessive moisture, humidity, traffic and pests all cause stress to plants which often results in a brown grass. So how do you know that the culprit is a lawn pest, namely, the Southern Chinch Bug.
Chinch bugs can be hard to find due to their size and where they reside at the base of the grass stem. Ranging from 0.2 to 3mm through gradual metamorphosis the adult chinch bug is small but still visible to the naked eye. Consisting of a black body and white wings with a black spot forming a triangle shape on their back. Observing and identifying chinch bugs often requires sifting through grass thatch to locate the bugs. It helps to know that they prefer dry areas and always like to be where the sun shines the most. Looking for chinch bugs in wet shady areas would be a lost cause.
Oftentimes they are identified after they have already done their damage. Chinch bugs feed of the phloem sap of plants while injecting toxins that result in death of plant tissue. Distinct brown splotching in the yard is the biggest giveaway that there is a chinch bug problem. If left on their own chinch bugs can mature through 6 generations a year meaning that the brown splotches will only get bigger with time, being most active in the hot summer months.
Chinch bugs not only injure but kill turf grass leaving no other option but to replace dead, brown patches. The Green Pest Guys summer home pest control program coincides with the active life cycle of these grass getters to prevent damage before it happens. Timing is everything, and just a small miss opens the door to costly lawn replacement.
If you love your lawn call Green Pest Guys for help and more information about our eco-friendly pest control and commercial pest control services!