Cougarstone Lawn Care is Here to Help You With Your Chinch Bug Infestation
Chinch bugs have been causing significant lawn damage in Calgary, often going unnoticed by homeowners. These pesky insects are relatively unknown but can devastate your yard. If left untreated, these destructive bugs can leave your lawn in shambles, making you wonder, “What is happening to my lawn?” Don’t worry; at Cougarstone Lawn Care, we have the solution to your chinch bug infestation and can help you reclaim your lawn.
You can click here to go to our Chinch Bug Control page or call 403-324-5296 to book a chinch bug treatment.
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What Are Chinch Bugs?
Most homeowners are unaware of what chinch bugs are, yet these tiny pests wreak havoc on thousands of lawns in Calgary each year.
Chinch bugs (Blissus leucopterus), often referred to as the “hairy chinch bug” in some regions, are small, sap-sucking insects that primarily live in the thatch layer of your lawn (dead grass, roots, and other organic material that sits between the grass blades and the soil). Chinch bugs usually begin to emerge in Calgary by mid-June when daytime temperatures rise, and they remain active throughout the summer.
A mature chinch bug can grow to 3-4mm in size, but most adult chinch bugs typically range from 1-2 mm, making them very difficult to detect. These pests have black bodies with distinctive white wings folded over their backs, the wing pads often forming an “X” pattern. Young nymphs are bright red with a white band across their bodies, which darkens as they mature.
What Do Chinch Bugs Do?
Chinch bugs thrive in warm, sunny areas, and they are particularly destructive during hot, dry weather. They are prolific breeders; they lay eggs daily throughout the summer, with a single female capable of laying up to 200 eggs over her lifespan. These eggs are usually deposited in the thatch or on the soil surface, where they hatch into nymphs within a week or two.
The chinch bug nymphs grow slowly through several stages, becoming more destructive as they mature. An adult chinch bug spends the warm months feeding and reproducing, and when cool temperatures arrive in late summer or early fall, mature chinch bugs seek out protected areas to hibernate.
Chinch bugs feed on the sap of grass blades by piercing them with their sharp piercing-sucking mouthparts and injecting a toxic saliva. The chinch bug feeding action not only removes essential nutrients but also disrupts the plant’s ability to transport water, leading to browning and eventual death of the grass. Signs of chinch bugs will often resemble drought stress typical of an under-watered lawn because of the localized dead patches they create.
How Do I Prevent Chinch Bugs?
Preventing chinch bug infestations in Calgary generally requires a proactive approach, focusing on maintaining a healthy lawn and minimizing the conditions that chinch bugs find attractive.
Manage Thatch with Aeration and Power Raking
Chinch bugs thrive in the thatch layer of your lawn, which consists of dead grass, roots, and other organic material. While a healthy thatch layer of ½ inch or less can protect roots and retain moisture, a thicker thatch layer creates an ideal environment for hairy chinch bugs to breed and feed, leading to significant lawn damage.
To reduce the likelihood of chinch bugs infesting your lawn, regular liquid aeration and power raking are crucial. Unlike traditional mechanical aeration, liquid aeration uses a soil conditioner that loosens compacted soil, allowing air, water, and nutrients to penetrate deeper into the roots without physically removing plugs of soil. This process enhances soil structure, reduces thatch buildup, and creates an environment less conducive to chinch bug populations. Power raking complements this by removing excess thatch, keeping the thatch layer at a healthy level.
Learn more about the benefits of liquid aeration on our Lawn Aeration Service page.
Ensure Proper Lawn Watering
Proper lawn watering is crucial in preventing chinch bug infestations. Chinch bugs prefer the sunniest and driest areas of your turf because these conditions stress the grass, making it more susceptible to their feeding. To combat this, ensure you water your lawn deeply and consistently.
Aim to give your lawn at least 1 inch of water per week, delivered over 2-3 sessions, each lasting at least 30 minutes in each area. This deep watering encourages the grass roots to grow deeper into the soil, enhancing their resilience to both drought stress and chinch bug feeding.
Incorporate Seasonally-Tailored Fertilization
Incorporating a seasonally-tailored fertilization routine into your lawn care plan is a key strategy in preventing chinch bug infestations. At Cougarstone Lawn Care, we use a systematic approach with three fertilizer applications throughout the year to strengthen your lawn and make it less attractive to chinch bugs.
- Early-Season Fertilizer Application: In early spring, we apply a granular lawn fertilizer specifically formulated for the season. This application focuses on “waking up” the lawn from winter dormancy by providing essential nitrogen, which promotes grass growth and greens up your lawn. A healthy, vigorous lawn is less susceptible to chinch bug damage.
- Mid-Season Fertilizer Application: As temperatures rise and your lawn begins to grow more rapidly, we apply a mid-season fertilizer that emphasizes root development. This application includes iron, a micro-nutrient that deepens the green colour of your grass, enhancing its overall health and resilience against chinch bug feeding during the heat of summer.
- Late-Season Fertilizer Application: Toward the end of summer, our late-season fertilizer application helps your lawn recover from the stresses of the season and prepares it for the colder months ahead. By promoting strong root growth, this application ensures that your lawn remains robust and less inviting to chinch bug populations.
For more information on our comprehensive fertilization services and how they contribute to a healthier, chinch bug-resistant lawn, visit our Lawn Fertilization Service page.
How To Get Rid of Chinch Bugs
Due to their small size and the subtlety of their feeding habits, chinch bugs can go unnoticed until significant lawn damage has occurred. By the time dead patches resembling drought damage appear, the infestation is often well established, requiring immediate intervention to prevent further destruction.
If you already have chinch bugs present, there are control methods available that can quickly and safely eliminate a chinch bug infestation. Several treatments are effective against chinch bugs, but only a select few are permitted for use in Calgary and are safe for your lawn grasses. Ensure that your pest control company in Calgary uses the appropriate products, such as granular insecticides or liquid sprays, registered for use in residential areas to treat chinch bugs.
As with most pests, common chinch bug populations should be monitored yearly from June to September. If you notice irregular patches of brown grass, check for small bugs on the soil surface. If you see them, you likely have chinch bugs and will require professional treatment to control the infestation.
Call Cougarstone Lawn Care for Chinch Bug Control
At Cougarstone Lawn Care, we specialize in lawn care and exterior pest control. If you suspect a chinch bug infestation, call us for a free lawn assessment. Each summer, we eliminate chinch bugs from hundreds of yards, making us one of Calgary’s top providers for chinch bug control. We also offer a risk-free guarantee, so we’ll return at no charge until the problem is resolved.
All you have to do is call 403-324-5296 or request a quote by clicking here.
You can also check out our Chinch Bug Control Service page for more information.
FAQS
What do chinch bugs look like?
Chinch bugs are small, typically 3-4 mm in length, with black bodies and distinctive white wings that form an “X” pattern on their backs. Nymphs are bright red with a white band and darken as they mature.
What causes chinch bugs?
Chinch bugs thrive in hot, dry conditions and are attracted to lawns with thick thatch layers and drought-stressed grass. Poor lawn maintenance and overwatering can also contribute to infestations.
How to get rid of chinch bugs naturally?
To get rid of chinch bugs naturally, you can use neem oil, diatomaceous earth, or insecticidal soaps. Proper lawn care practices, such as regular aeration, dethatching, and deep watering, can also help prevent infestations.
How to kill chinch bugs?
Chinch bugs can be killed using insecticides specifically designed for them, such as pyrethroid-based products. For a more eco-friendly approach, use natural remedies like neem oil or diatomaceous earth.
How to treat chinch bugs?
Treat chinch bugs by first identifying the infestation and then applying appropriate insecticides or natural treatments. Maintain healthy lawn care practices, such as regular aeration and deep watering, to prevent future infestations.
