Chinch Bug Season!

Does you lawn look like that? I hope not, but if it does it could be from chinch bugs. It's the time of year where you are trying to make your lawn look good and the chinch bugs are making it look bad! Chinch bugs are a serious turf pest that can do a lot of damage to lawns if not addressed. Chinch bugs prefer hot, dry weather and open, sunny areas. They suck juices from the grass, causing a bleached look in the grass blades that rapidly turns brown. The adult chinch bug is 1/6 to 1/5 of an inch long with reddish legs, a black body and fully developed wings. Each front wing is mostly white, but is marked with a triangular black patch at the middle of the outer margin. Chinch bugs can be easily controlled, but if left in the lawn to long the damage may be too significant to repair damaged areas before next season.