How to Control Chinch Bugs in Your Lawn in Idaho Falls

You’re probably not lying awake in bed at night worrying about chinch bugs.

We know what you’re thinking: “Chinch bugs? That’s not a thing. They’re making this up.” Understandable.

We don’t have a huge problem with chinch bugs in Idaho Falls, but if they do attack, they can really wreck your nice, healthy lawn.

How to recognize chinch bug damage? And what’s the best chinch bug treatment?

Keep reading. Even if you never have a chinch bug problem, this might be a question on Jeopardy someday.

First, What Are Chinch Bugs?

These lawn-munching pests are tiny, just a quarter-inch long, with black bodies, a white stripe, and white wings folded across their backs.

Sounds harmless enough, right? But these rude little bugs suck your grass blades dry. Then they inject a poison that kills them. They can kill patches of grass or your entire lawn.

How to Spot Chinch Bug Damage

Grass attacked by chinch bugs looks like grass suffering from drought. Your grass blades wilt, turn yellowish brown, then dry out and die.

It’s the kind of sight that makes you stand on your front porch and scream, “WHYYYYYY??!!”

Chinch Bug Treatment

The insecticide Lawn Buddies uses to treat grubs and billbugs also helps suppress chinch bugs, which can help reduce some pests.

But if you have a chinch bug infestation, you’ll need a professional insecticide application to kill them.

You can prevent chinch bugs in your lawn with an insecticide treatment, but timing is tricky, and a single treatment may not be sufficient.

Preventing Chinch Bugs in Your Idaho Falls Lawn

The best way to prevent chinch bugs is to maintain a healthy lawn.

That means don’t skimp on regular fertilizer treatments. One or two applications a year aren’t enough to help your lawn stand up to hungry pests. Invaders like chinch bugs love targeting unhealthy lawns.

Other tips:

• Mow High. Cutting your grass too short stresses the grass, and makes it more susceptible to chinch bug damage. Never cut off more than a third of the grass blade at any one time.
• Water your lawn less often, but deeply. If you water too often, it encourages shallow, needy roots. That weakens your lawn, making it easier for chinch bugs to attack.

Healthy turf is the best defense against any type of pest.

Is Your Lawn Ready for a New Best Friend?

Did somebody say healthy lawn? We’ve got your back.

Help prevent chinch bugs on your lawn by keeping it healthy in the first place.

Make it easy on yourself. Choose an Idaho Falls, ID professional lawn care service that bundles your yard’s most-needed treatments into one convenient, no-fuss plan.

Got a few minutes? That’s all you need to get started. Just fill out the form on this page, call us at (208) 656-9131 or read more about our services. Then you can kick back and relax in your healthy, thriving yard.

Image Source: Chinch Bug