Chinch Bug Damage & Control

Metro Orlando FL | Kissimmee - Sanford - Leesburg

Florida is home to a variety of lawn pests and conditions, and a whole range of tactics and techniques must be employed to keep a Florida lawn healthy. Heron Home & Outdoor is here to help your lawn remain green and vibrant!

What Are Chinch Bugs?

Chinch bugs can be found in the thatch layer of your lawn, or just by the crowns. Only a ¼ of an inch long, chinch bugs use their sharp mandibles to bite into the blades of grass on your lawn, feeding on the sap. As they bite your grass, they inject the grass with enzymes. This “poison” can kill your lawn over time as the chinch bugs multiply, leaving patches of dead grass as they move across your lawn.

Identifying Chinch Bug Damage

Chinch bug damage is particularly difficult because it’s slow, and can mimic symptoms of other insects or drought damage. Because these bugs are feeding off individual blades of grass, you might not even notice the problem until they’ve spread across a large area. Depending on the time of year, you may also just think it’s dryness due to under-watering.

Is it Chinch Bug Damage or Drought Stress?

Chinch bug damage symptoms look a lot like the stress caused by drought. Your turf will begin to wither away as the chinch bugs continue to feed on the sap, leaving your grass dry and slowly dying. Grass blades will begin to turn yellow-brown as they die. So how do you tell if your grass needs water, or if chinch bugs are slowly destroying it from the inside out?

Heron Home & Outdoor primarily uses visual inspection. Though chinch bugs are small, they are visible to the naked eye. As we inspect areas of your grass, we look past the edges of the damaged areas to see if chinch bugs are involved or spreading. If we find more than a few chinch bugs per square foot, your lawn needs treatment!

Professional Chinch Bug Control & Treatment

At Heron Home & Outdoor, we understand the importance of keeping your lawn pest-free and safe. A healthy lawn is crucial to any home, which is why our Lawn Care Program provides you with six comprehensive treatments a year. We have straightforward pricing, complete coverage for common pests and conditions, and we offer the area’s best protection. Call Heron today for your free same-day inspection!