What Are Southern Chinch Bugs?

• What they look like: Immature Chinch Bugs are reddish-orange with a white band across the back. They darken in color, turning black once they become adults. Adults have shiny white wings that fold neatly over the body. They grow to 1/8-1/5 inch long.
• Damage: Grass in sunny sections of the lawn wilts, turns brown and dies. Once wilting begins, adjacent areas become affected rapidly, often in a day or so. Infestations can be spotty and sometimes are found only in portions of the lawn that dry out fastest. Left untreated, these patches will grow and the entire lawn can be lost. Damage typically occurs from spring to fall. Insects hide in the thatch layer or individual grass crowns.
• Diagnose: Try this method if you do not see Chinch Bugs but suspect they are causing damage. Remove both ends of a coffee container. Insert the bottom edge into soil about 3 inches. Fill the container with water for five minutes. If Chinch bugs are present, they'll float to the top of the water. Test near the edges of the damaged lawn section.
• Affected areas: Chinch bugs are very destructive lawn pests in the South, including coastal and tropical areas. Scattered infestations occur throughout the Southwest, Mountain West and High Plains. Chinch Bugs cause the most damage to St. Augustine grass but are a serious pest of Centipedegrass as well.