Keep lawn moist for the next 3 days (or 1 week in dry weather) to ensure nematodes are flushed into the turf canopy where chinch bugs are present. They live above the soil and feed on living grass plants by means of a piercing. Chinch bug populations frequently go unnoticed because of their small size and coloration, which blends in with turfgrass and thatch. Chinch bugs are small insects that live in and feed on lawn grasses. Keep the water level above the soil surface for the duration of the test. The Hairy chinch bug ( Blissus leucopterus leucopterus) can be a frequent pest of fine fescue and Kentucky bluegrass found in home lawns and on golf courses in Pennsylvania. Wait 5 minutes and count the number of chinch bugs that appear. Chinch bugs like to spend the winter months in flixweed, wheat, and many other common weeds that can be found in and around alfalfa, corn and sorghum fields. Use your garden hose or a large bucket of water and fill the container with water. In large numbers, the pests can kill off significant patches of turf. Agitate spraying solution often during application because nematodes are heavier than water and will sink to the bottom of the bottle. A trowel or small shovel may help with this. Most lawns see some chinch bug activity, and small populations are not cause for concern. The hairy and common chinch bugs are the predominant two species of chinch bug in the. Chinch bugs seek out arid, hot, and sunny environments to live and breed, and they cause the most damage during the hottest and driest months of the year. When chinch bugs feed, they release enzymes that facilitate easy feeding. Chinch bugs are small in size (adults are only inch long), but they can do serious damage to a lawn. They live in the thatch layer of a lawn, where they feed on the grass by piercing the plant with their mouth and sucking the plant juices. The first generation starts to die in early fall. Chinch bugs do the greatest damage from mid-summer to early fall. Adults of the first brood usually move to a new area before mating and egg laying. Start spraying in most affected area of lawn first and complete spraying outwards to provide total nematode coverage. Chinch bugs are common lawn insects that can cause extensive damage if left untreated. The adult chinch bug is shaped like a flattened black and white capsule and is capable of flight. Activated nematodes are sufficiently small so that they will pass through the mesh of the pouches.Īttach garden hose to sprayer and turn valve to “Mix” position to begin spraying. The wetting agent helps the solution cling to the grass where cinch bugs forage.Īdd room temperature water to fill sprayer bottle.įasten lid securely and shake vigorously to evenly disperse nematodes. Open plastic vial and pour natural wetting agent into sprayer bottle. Activated nematodes are sufficiently small so that they will pass through the mesh of the pouches. To avoid clogging the sprayer, do not tear or open the pouches when placing into the sprayer.Īctivate nematodes by adding about 2.5 cm (1 in) of warm water in the sprayer.
Open nematodes globe and place the pouches in the sprayer. Water your lawn 24 to 48 hours prior to application to move chinch bugs closer to the soil surface, thereby maximizing contact with the nematodes.