prettylawnandtreesThe Chinch bug (Blissus insularis) is a form of beetle that adores St. Augustine grass. Their healthy appetite and ability to quickly reproduce make them a serious problem for many Florida lawns. Chinch bugs love dry, sunny lawns, which describes most summer lawns in the state of Florida. If you note your lawn has scraggly islands of St. Augustine surrounded by a sea of dead grass, but you have been watering your lawn regularly, you may have a chinch bug invasion. Below is a short list of how to recognize if your lawn is a dinner table for chinch bugs and requires an Orlando lawn treatment to get rid of them.

  • Look at your neighbors’ lawns, nearby deserted tracts of grass, golf courses, or croplands. If the grass has a bedraggled appearance with large brown spots, your lawn may be next. Chinch bugs fly and can attack nearby patches of grass in record time.
  • On a sunny day, go outside and stand on your lawn. Slowly drag your foot through the grass or soil and observe any chinch bugs that may crawl across your foot.
  • Cut both ends off a coffee can and place the can on your lawn. Press down hard to drive the coffee can into the ground approximately 2-3 inches. Fill the can with soapy water and wait five minutes or so. If you have chinch bugs in your lawn, they will float to the surface of the water within the can.
  • If you suspect chinch bugs, but are unsure, take a picture of your lawn, wait a day or two, and take a second photo. Compare the two photos to see if your lawn has changed significantly. Check any areas that show a strong line of demarcation between yellow spots and green grass. These are also indicative of chinch bugs.
  • Remember, if your lawn is not St. Augustine, it is not necessarily chinch bug-free. While they prefer St. Augustine, they are also fond of zoysia, centipede, bahia, bermuda, and other grasses.

Call Apex Pest Control with any questions or concerns about chinch bugs or any other lawn or home pest problems at (866) 675-4070. Our lawn care specialists will be happy to help in assessing your lawn problems and applying the best possible Orlando lawn treatment to rid your lawn of any type of bugs.

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