Every summer, Florida property owners are stunned to encounter brown, neglected-looking patches in their otherwise verdant lawns. These patches are probably caused by chinch bugs.

Thank you for reading this post, don’t forget to subscribe!

In this article, we’ll look at what chinch bugs are and how to determine if you have a chinch bug infestation. We’ll also look at chinch bug lawn damage, prevention, repair, and the all-in-one solution A Good Neighbor Property Solutions LLC offers.

What are chinch bugs?

Chinch bugs are insects that hatch as nymphs without wings and then gradually grow into winged adults. The tiny adult bugs are about a quarter-inch long. They’re black and white with whitish wings marked by a dark triangle on the outer margins.

As young nymphs, chinch bugs are bright red and have a white band across the back. Both adults and nymphs give off a strong odor that’s most easily detected when they’re crushed underfoot.

Chinch bugs inflict the most damage on lawns as nymphs. They damage lawns by using their piercing mouthparts to suck moisture from grass blades. Their saliva poisons the grass blades and interrupts water movement within the grass.

Chinch bug lawn damage

In the early stages of chinch bug lawn damage, your grass will begin to turn yellow. After that, the grass will turn brown and die. The rapidly-expanding population of chinch bugs feeds as a group. Once it’s destroyed one section of grass, it will move to the perimeter.

What might start off as a small patch of dead grass may quickly spread to cover a large area of your lawn. A relocating chinch bug population can devastate over 400 feet of grass in under an hour.

At first, you might confuse chinch bug lawn damage with a drought problem. However, you can rule out drought damage if your grass doesn’t green up after you’ve watered it.