During the spring, plants, flowers and trees all soak in all of the sun and start to bloom and grow again. You have probably already started to enjoy some of the beautiful growth in nature this spring. You may also be noticing that some of your grass, flowers, or trees are not blooming. There are many different reasons that things are not growing on your property. If you are having some problems with your grass one possible cause could be chinch bugs.
Chinch Bug Identification
Do you have spotted large dead patches in your lawn? Chinch bugs could be the reason for this. Most people have never heard of chinch bugs. They are insects that attack grass all across North America. Most people will notice that the dead spots in their lawn first. You may also notice a gross smell coming from your lawn. When chinch bugs are stepped on they emit a disgusting smell. If you notice these two things you will want to try inspecting your lawn. This part can be tricky because chinch bugs are so small. They are about 1/6 of an inch long. Adults have black bodies and folded wings. Young chinch bugs are called nymphs. They are red with a black band of white on their back. Female chinches reproduce in the spring. They lay over 500 eggs at a time. Their ability to reproduce in such large numbers makes it hard to get rid of them.
Chinch Bug Damage
Chinch bugs feed on grass. They will suck the juice out of your grass and inject the blades of grass with their saliva. Their saliva prevents water from being able to flow into the grass. Without water your grass dies. That is why you end up with patches of grass that look like they are dying. Many homeowners assume that they are simply not watering their lawn enough. You will want to check for chinch bugs though before increasing your watering time. Chinch bugs will bite humans but their bites are harmless. If you are bitten it will itch for a minute and you may have a little discomfort.
How to Know if You Have Chinch Bugs
If you are not sure if you have chinch bugs or not there is a simple test that you can perform to see. Get a coffee can or other large can. Cut the bottom and top lids off. Push the can into the ground using a twisting motion. Next fill the can with water. Leave the can alone for 10 minutes. Then go back to the can and see if any chinch bugs have floated to the top of the water. You can try this in multiple locations. If you do not have any chinch bags come to the surface of the water you probably do not have them in your lawn.
Interior & Exterior Pest Control Treatment
When you perform the test and confirm that you do have chinch bugs you will need to get rid of them so that they do not continue ruining your lawn. Trying to do it on your own does not always work. The best way to get rid of them is to have Stewart Termite and Pest Control come out and treat your lawn. We can send out one of our technicians to help you take care of the problem as quickly as possible. Once you have gotten rid of the chinch bugs you will want to make sure that they do not come back. Thankfully there are some simple things that you can do to help prevent them from returning. You will want to always mow your grass to an appropriate length; avoid applying excessive fertilizer; maintain a proper watering schedule; and have Stewart Termite & Pest Control routinely treat your home.