Chinch Bug Control

Chinch bugs, being a very common turf insect in the Ottawa region, are black with a white spot on their back between their wing pads when they have reached their adult form. When in their immature state, the very small nymph, is bright red with an evident white patch on their back. As it matures, the colouring changes from red to orange to brown, and finally black. 

Chinch bug damage is more prevalent in hot and dry weather. You will see that most of the damage is found in open, sunny areas, of which can be mistaken for drought or heat stress. Active infestations are typically scurrying around in the thatch of your lawn and will produce yellow patches starting as early as June before they spread throughout the summer months. In severe cases, some turf may not recover if feeding persists as sizeable infestations of chinch bugs can destroy large sections of lawn. Preventing and reducing extensive damage can now be done with our natural approach to minimizing active infestations. Following proper cultural practices with regards to watering will help deter them from feeding excessively as they prefer a hot and dry environment. 

BioTitan is a treatment used to prevent excessive damage and works best when applied prior to yellow spots being noticed. BioTitan is designed to adhere to the skin of the target pest, then start to cause an infection before effectively neutralizing the insect. Most importantly, this application is completely safe for children, pets, adults, and the environment. Application efficacy is best in June and July while reduction is possible to infestations between August and September when necessary. 

Start by spreading the lawn and breaking the thatch layer where the green and brown turf areas meet as this will expose any active chinch bugs. They are very small and can be seen in both their nymph and adult stages when inspecting noticeable brown spots.

To see if you are at risk, have your lawn inspected by a Premier Turf Management professional today.