Neighborhood Pest Control

The southern chinch bug is the most devastating insect pest of St. Augustine grass in Florida. Adults are about 1/8 inch long and black with white patches on the wings. The nymphs range from 1/20 inch long to nearly adult size. The small nymphs are reddish with a white band across the back, but become black in color as they approach adult size. Eggs hatch in 10 days and the young develop to adults in 3 weeks. Chinch bugs are seriously damaging only to St. Augustine grass. This insect sucks the plant juices through its needle-like beak resulting in yellowish to brownish patches in lawns. These areas frequently are first noticed along paved edges or in dry areas where the grass is growing in full sun.