The weather’s warming up in Akron, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio, and that means that turf-eating beetles and bugs are hard at work on your lawn. One of the more insidious is the chinch bug. Chinch bugs not only chew on your grass, but inject a chemical that can kill your lawn.

If you’re experiencing a long, dry spell, which starts in June and can last until September, and your grass looks like it began dying in a circular, outward pattern, you may have a chinch bug problem.

There are two main varieties of chinch bugs around the Akron, Cleveland, and Columbus regions: the hairy chinch bug and the common chinch bug. The adult chinch bug is 1/8” – 1/5” in length; its body is black; and its wing size can be either short or long with white markings on them.

Both types of chinch bugs kill grass the same way: they pierce the grass blade to eat the plant sap, and they inject chemicals back into the plant to clog up its vascular system, causing the grass to die from one tiny spot outward to eventually including the entire lawn.

Chinch Bug Life Cycle

Adult chinch bugs overwinter in Ohio. During a very warm summer, there are typically two generations and a partial third generation of chinch bugs coming to life.

A normal life cycle starts as the weather begins to warm up in the spring and the adult female starts laying her eggs. She will deposit about 15 – 20 eggs per day for two to three weeks. The eggs hatch within a week or two where the nymphs will start feeding on your lawn. It takes one to three months for a nymph to reach adulthood and start the reproduction cycle all over again.

Chinch bug diagnosis

There are two ways to see if you have a chinch bug problem in your yard:

1.     Examine the grass on the outside of the damaged turf by getting close to the ground so you can observe chinch bugs on your lawn. The hotter the day, the more chinch bugs you’ll find.

2.     Take a can, cut both ends off, and stick it halfway into the ground. Fill it with water for five to 10 minutes. Chinch bugs will float to the top of the can. If 25 – 30 bugs and nymphs float to the top, you have a chinch bug problem.

The chinch bug solution

The best solution for controlling chinch bugs is consistently watering your lawn where you give your yard a deep drink at least once a week. Turf can survive and thrive with chinch bugs. But the secret to success is in the watering routine.

If you find that your turf is damaged beyond your control, call Weed-Pro at 1-866-724-4555. They will be able to discuss what options you have to get rid of chinch bugs in your lawn and bring your grass back to life.

Weed Pro's Lawn Care Insect Guide

Chinch bugs can be a big problem for any lawn this spring. But what about all the other insects that can be invading your lawn? That's why Weed Pro has put together the best Lawn Insect ID Guide in the industry! The best part? It's yours absolutely free just by clicking on the link below!

About Wendy:
Wendy Komancheck is an accomplished Freelance Writer for Trade Magazines, Websites, and Local Businesses, specializing in horticultural articles. Check out Wendy's bio and website by Clicking Here. Wendy's Google+ Page