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| Photo Credit: ©2007 Buglady Consulting |
| If you take good care of your lawn, you’re less likely to have a chinch bug invasion. |
The title of another article I wrote for Learn2Grow® sums it up nicely: “Chinch Bugs Can Suck the Life Out of Your Lawn.” While these lawn pests can be problematic, there’s one in particular that’s labeled the worst of these sap suckers: the Southern chinch bug (SCB). This little bugger is probably the most damaging insect pest of St. Augustine grass. The good news is that while it can be devastating to any St. Augustine grass wherever it’s grown, it doesn’t cause significant damage to other warm-season turf selections.
Depending on where you live, one to several generations of SCB can occur each year. In southern Florida – where up to 10 generations occur a year – activity usually begins in March. But in Florida’s panhandle and upper Gulf Coast areas, just two to four generations are typical, beginning in April. And the farther north you go, the fewer generations that occur. SCB nymphs and adults feed on the aboveground stolons of St. Augustine grass. Like other chinch bugs, they suck fluids from the plants, causing the lawn to dry out. If you start to notice patches of brownish or withered turf that begin as small spots but enlarge quickly, watch out. These are early symptoms of an SCB infestation. Damage is most severe when your turf is under drought stress, so be sure to use good irrigation practices year-round to reduce the chances of getting this problematic pest.
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