Here in Indiana, chinch bugs are commonly found lawn insects that can cause a lot of costly damage to your turf. These insects are quite small and are hard to notice until you begin to see the damage they are causing to your lawn. Chinch bugs typically emerge during the spring and feed on your grass by sucking out its vital fluids. While it’s difficult to prevent chinch bugs from attacking your lawn, you can mitigate their damage by mowing correctly, watering regularly, and fertilizing consistently. If you do notice signs of chinch bug damage on your lawn, your best bet is to contact your local lawn care professionals.
Chinch bugs emerge in the spring to feed on your grass.
Adult chinch bugs are less than a quarter of an inch long with a dark red or black body and white wings. Because of their small size, chinch bugs often go unnoticed until they have already caused significant damage to a lawn. These bugs feed on grass by piercing the blades and sucking out the fluid from them, which kills the grass. Chinch bugs emerge around mid-April and can lay up to 200 eggs during the spring season. It only takes around 20 days for these eggs to hatch, meaning that you can have a chinch bug infestation on your lawn before you know it. Chinch bugs also like to live in leaf piles and other debris, so be sure to schedule a spring yard cleanup this season.
Chinch bugs feed on a variety of grass types including Bermuda grass, Kentucky bluegrass, fescues, and more!
How can you lessen the severity of chinch bug damage?
It can be hard to prevent chinch bugs from invading your lawn. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure that any chinch bug damage doesn’t take an irreparable toll on your lawn. These things include:
- Mowing correctly: Cutting your grass too short can decrease your lawn’s resistance to stressors like pest infestations. By cutting off no more than 1/3 of your grass blades each time you mow, you can help to keep your lawn strong and resistant to chinch bugs.
- Watering regularly: Following the correct watering schedule is an easy way to keep your lawn strong, healthy, and able to combat pest damage. Most lawns in Indiana require about 1 to 1 and a half inches of water per week.
- Fertilizing consistently: If your grass is lacking vital nutrients, it will be that much more susceptible to chinch bug damage this spring. By consistently fertilizing your lawn, you can replenish the nutrients that make your grass strong and more resistant to pests.
If you see signs of chinch bug damage, contact a professional.
The most common signs of a chinch bug infestation are irregular patches of dead or stunted grass. If you think you notice any chinch bug damage on your lawn this spring, the best thing you can do is contact your local lawn care professionals. They will be able to identify if chinch bugs are the cause of the damage; if so, the experts can create a plan to treat the infestation safely and effectively.
Give us a call to sign up for our lawn insect control program today!
Chinch bugs are no joke and can destroy your lawn in the spring when left to their own devices. Our team here at Precision Cutz Lawn Care offers a lawn insect control program that will keep your property safe from chinch bugs, armyworms, ants, billbugs, and other harmful lawn insects. We provide this service to the residential, commercial, and HOA property owners in Carmel, Fishers, Westfield, and nearby areas in Indiana. If you are interested in our lawn insect control program, give us a call at 317-751-9085 to sign up with us today!
