BirdCast: Garden Pests: Chinch Bugs

Pest: Chinch Bug (Blissus leucopterus)

Discussion: Chinch bugs feed on turfgrass causing leaves to dry out and depriving stem and roots of nutrients. Damage is generally most apparent in warm summer months, when patches of turf become yellow and withered. Adults become more active when temperatures rise above 70 F. The most commonly prescribed detection method requires a coffee can with both lids cut off. Work the coffee can into the soil over suspect areas, and in unaffected areas as well. Once the can is firmly planted in the soil, fill it above the level of the grass with warm water. Keep filling as the water drains. If you have chinch bugs, they should float up to the top of the water. Don't confuse them with one of their natural predators Bigeyed bugs, which are easily identified by…you got it…!

Pesticides Commonly Applied: Acephate (Orthene),Chlorpyrifos (Dursban), Diazinon and others.

Alternative Pesticides: Pyrethrins, Neem and insecticidal soap.

Biological or Physical Control: If chinch bugs are a frequent problem, you may want to consider planting endophyte enhanced grass (grass enhanced with the fungus (Acremonium coenophiallum)) which is more resistant to surface grazing buy insects. Also set your mower at it's highest setting, and mow less often. Longer blades of grass produce more energy and encourage greater root growth. Healthy grass will be more tolerant to insect attack. Avoid overfertilizing and control the amount of thatch buildup in your lawn. Bigeyed bugs, Lace Bugs and other beneficial insects will prey on chinch bugs if present. Finally the fungus Beauvaria bassiana (Naturalis-T) can also be effective.

Bird Facts: American Robins, Northern Flickers and other birds will feed on lawn insects. Pesticides used to control lawn pests may effect these and other helpful bird species. Nearly half of the wildlife mortality incidents reported for home and garden pesticides in the EPA's Ecological Incident Information System database involved Diazinon. Chlorpyrifos has also been implicated in a number of wildlife incidents for it's home and garden uses. The overwhelming majority of these incidents involved birds whose nervous systems are susceptible to these pesticide's ability to block nerve impulses. Birds can be poisoned by direct ingestion of pesticide granules, by eating dying pests or by coming in contact with pesticide residues. Make sure you have a pest problem before using these pesticides. If you are using them, reduce the amount available to non-target species by treating only infested areas, and avoid granular formulas, which some bird species may be drawn to.