Taking Charge of Chinch Bugs

Make sure your yard stays green this year by avoiding the chinch bug. Learn preventative measures from this totallandscapecare.com article.

Rego Korosi, Flickr.com 

Give a chinch an inch, and they’ll take a yard. This old southern saying about chinch bugs speaks to the destructive nature of these pests that threaten turf in the South and Southeast. Even though chinch bugs are found throughout the United States, it’s the southern chinch bug that has notoriously evaded control by developing resistance to some of the most commonly used insecticides.

However, a ton of products are available to rid this pest from commercial turf and residential lawns. If you’re not getting the results from the product you’re using and you live in Florida, there’s a chance that chinch bugs have become resistant to it. Most likely, though, you simply need to evaluate and adjust your method of application.

Doing Damage: 
Experts consistently describe the cost of controlling the southern chinch bug in the millions. In Florida alone, $5 million annually is spent on control and on replacing chinch-damaged turf. Richard Duble, professor and extension turfgrass specialist at Texas A&M University, calls the southern chinch bug the most destructive pest of St. Augustinegrass lawns, with more than $50 million spent each year for its control.

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