Triple D Grounds – Brevard County Commercial Lawn Care | 321-253-3478

Chinch bugs, Blissus insularis, suck the juices from St. Augustine grass at or just below the soil level. Injured plants look stunted, yellowed, wilted, or dead. Yellowish to burnt-brownish patches are often first noticed along sidewalks or in poorly-irrigated areas.  Chinch bug adults are about 1/5 inch long, black with white patches on wings, which are folded over the back.  Young nymphs are reddish-orange with a white band across the back.  Body color darkens and becomes black as nymphs reach adult size.  Activity is reduced in winter in northern Florida, but all stages are present year-round in most of the state, with most activity occuring in late spring and early summer. 

Identification:  Look for yellowing or declining grass.  Chinch bugs work in ‘packs’, flying into an area and consuming the grass from one spot out.  In a damaged area, collect some thatch, clippings and soil (enough to fill the cup of your hand) from the outskirts of a damaged area and sprinkle over a piece of white paper.  Spread the debris out, and watch closely.  You will be able to see the chinch bugs crawling over the white surface if they are present.