If your lawn has yellow or brown patches that look like it is suffering from drought stress but don't seem to get better even after you water it, you might be dealing with a chinch bug infestation. Chinch bugs are common lawn pests in Tennessee that are extremely tiny and hard to see. They cause damage by feeding on sap and juices from the grass blades before injecting a toxin into them, which leads to their discoloration and eventual death. If your lawn is infested by chinch bugs, you'll want to schedule a curative treatment to get rid of the pests and lawn care services to help it recuperate.

What are chinch bugs?

Chinch bugs are tiny lawn insects that only reach up to an eighth of an inch, even as adults, allowing them to cause significant damage to your lawn without being seen. They have hairy bodies and black wings that can be long or short. Their wings also have black, triangular spots on the outer edges.

These lawn insects become active in the spring when temperatures reach around 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Chinch bugs will damage your lawn by feeding on the grass blades. Using their sucking mouthparts, these pests will suck vital plant juices from the grass, literally draining the life out of your lawn! If that's not bad enough, they will also inject a toxin into the grass that will inhibit water movement within your turf.

What does chinch bug damage look like on lawns?

As chinch bugs feed, you'll notice irregularly shaped patches of yellow or brown grass throughout your turf. As the chinch bug infestation worsens, the grass will eventually die. The affected grass blades will also look dry and have a distinct difference in appearance compared to the surrounding grass.

Chinch bug damage resembles that of drought stress, and you'll notice that watering your lawn does nothing to help solve the issue. Damage is most likely to appear around July and August, so make sure you watch out for these discolored patches of grass on your lawn!

Make sure you reach out to lawn care professionals to determine if your lawn is indeed suffering from a chinch bug infestation!

What should you do if chinch bugs have infested your lawn?

If your lawn is infested by chinch bugs, you'll want to spring into action right away. These lawn insects have an insatiable appetite for your grass and can quickly destroy an entire lawn in several days. Here are two things you need to do if you have a chinch bug-infested lawn:

  • Schedule a professional curative treatment to eliminate the chinch bugs on your lawn. This treatment will stop these pests in their tracks and prevent them from causing further damage to your grass. Make sure you hire professionals to apply the treatment to get effective results!
  • Schedule lawn care services to help your grass recover from the damage and stress caused by chinch bugs. You'll particularly need fertilization treatments to provide it with essential nutrients and invigorate its health. You'll also want to schedule an aeration service to help the roots of your grass access vital resources and overseeding to make it lusher and fuller!

Get rid of chinch bugs on your lawn with our chinch bug control service. Call us today to sign up!

Our team at Picture Perfect Landscapes offers a chinch bug control service to commercial and residential properties, as well as HOAs, in Memphis, Midtown Memphis, East Memphis, TN, and nearby areas. We use a highly effective treatment that sinks well into your lawn's thatch layer where you're likely to find chinch bugs. We also provide the lawn care services you need to get it to its optimal state of health again, like fertilization, aeration, and overseeding. It's time to get rid of the pesky chinch bugs on your lawn; call us today at (901) 246-7656 to sign up for our chinch bug control treatments!