Pleasant Landscapes

THE SEASON FOR CHINCH BUGS

August is when we start seeing chinch bug damage. Chinch bugs are very small and very hard to see with the untrained eye. They are very devastating to lawns and grasses. St. Augustine seems to be the grass that they like the most, but I have experienced chinch bugs in all types of grass.

There are a few ways to tell if you have chinch bugs or not. First the area will look like a spot in the lawn that is not getting enough water. This spot often starts near the pavement or sidewalk areas.  The grass looks brown shriveled up and it may run along the road or concrete. The reason for this is that the yard is warmer along the concrete area thus giving them a better environment. These signs are quite obvious as the first tell-tell marker of chinch bug infestation.

A way to test this brown area to see if it is actually chinch bugs is to get a 5 gallon bucket fill it full of water. With a shovel remove some grass and dirt from around the area (this should be the green grass that borders the brown). Don’t bother putting the brown grass in because the chinch bugs have already sucked all the moisture out of it and moved on to the green grass. Drop the soil/grass sample into the water and any insects inside that area will float to the top. This includes spiders, mole crickets, beetles, and chinch bugs. The chinch bugs will look like black fleas with a white stripe mark on their back.

We usually treat our yards with a liquid insecticide that is water in and down to the root zone for chinch bug infestation. In severe cases we may need to go back and apply a second application. Remember that insects do not see property lines, so if you have them, or if your neighbor has them, everyone has a common problem.

While I have been out inspecting properties in the last few weeks, I have noticed aphids moving in on Crype Myrtles and other shrubbery. This is often detected by the black sooty substance that is deposited on the leaves. If you see one of your plants with this black sooty substance, turn the leave over and see if there are tiny yellow bugs on them. If so, these are aphids and can be killed with a liquid soap and water mixture or an approved pesticide from your local garden center.

Happy Gardening! 

James Parker