Put the Pinch on Chinch Bugs

Article By:
Audrey Durr
Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program Coordinator

There are perhaps no two words that are more dreaded than "chinch bugs" to the owner of a St. Augustine grass lawn. Chinch bugs are the most damaging and difficult-to-control pest of St. Augustine grass.

Southern chinch bug damage occurs from March through November. Damage from the previous year becomes apparent in the spring and new damage tends to appear in May or June. Damaged areas can resemble drought stress, but it is a myth that chinch bugs are attracted to drought-stressed grass because wilted grass is a less appealing food source. It is more likely that chinch bugs develop faster in areas with higher temperatures and less shade.

Proper identification is vitally important before treating for any insect or disease problem. The easiest way to determine whether chinch bugs are the problem is to part the grass near a yellowed area, pull out individual grass plants and look inside the bottom leaf sheath for the bugs; examine several areas this way. A hand-held vacuum cleaner can also be used to find chinch bugs. Finally, there is the flotation technique, which involves filling a container that has both ends cut off with water and waiting five minutes to see if any chinch bugs float up.

If chinch bugs are in fact the problem, one control measure you can take is switching to a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer because frequent applications of quick release nitrogen fertilizer may increase the survival, development and number of eggs laid by chinch bugs. St. Augustine grass should be mowed to a height of three to four inches; "scalping" can stress the grass and make it more susceptible to chinch bug damage.

Chinch bug populations are usually concentrated in certain areas rather than dispersed throughout the yard, so spot treatment of affected areas is recommended rather than a blanket treatment of the entire yard. Insecticides should be rotated often so that chinch bug populations are unable to build up a resistance to the chemicals.

If you've had enough of the battle with chinch bugs, bahiagrass offers superior drought-resistance, low maintenance requirements and is unbothered by chinch bugs. Perennial peanut is another low maintenance groundcover that only grows to six inches tall, offers superior drought resistance and has no insect, disease or nematode problems of major significance.

For more information of chinch bugs and care of St. Augustine grass, refer to the University of Florida articles "Southern Chinch Bug Management on St. Augustinegrass" and "St. Augustinegrass for Florida Lawns." Both articles are available at www.solutionsforyourlife.org or through the Citrus County Extension office at 352-527-5700.

The Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program of the Citrus County Extension Service is a public education and outreach program of the University of Florida, funded jointly by the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners and the Coastal Rivers and Withlacoochee River Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

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