How to Get Rid of Chinch Bugs

Left unchecked, chinch bugs can devastate your lawn in a matter of days. The good news? There are several effective strategies about how to get rid of chinch bugs before permanent damage occurs.

To eliminate these hungry invaders, you’ll need to identify their presence early, as they feed on grass sap and inject toxins that cause yellow, dead patches. Chinch bugs thrive during hot, dry summers, multiplying rapidly and destroying entire lawns if left untreated.

Quick action not only saves your grass but prevents these pests from spreading to neighboring properties, preserving your landscape investment and curb appeal.

How to spot chinch bugs

Chinch bugs aren’t always easy to spot because they blend into the grass. But knowing what they look like and the damage they cause can help you protect your lawn better.

What chinch bugs look like

Chinch bugs have tiny oval bodies, typically around ⅙ to ⅛ inch long, with white wings and a telltale triangular marking on them. Their wings fold over their backs, creating an X marking that helps distinguish them from other lawn pests.

Nymphs — young chinch bugs — start out bright red with a white stripe across their backs. As they grow, they gradually darken and change from orange to brown before reaching their final black-and-white adult form.

When do chinch bugs appear?

Chinch bugs typically appear in early-to-mid summer when temperatures get really warm, usually between June and July in most regions. They thrive in hot, dry conditions, and their activity intensifies during the summer months when temperatures consistently exceed 80 degrees.

What chinch bug damage looks like

Chinch bugs leave behind dry, brown patches that spread quickly, particularly along sidewalks and driveways. Chinch bugs target sunny, heat-stressed sections that radiate heat. Extreme infestations kill off large sections of grass.

Read more: How to Repair Chinch Bug Damage

Testing for chinch bugs

An easy way to identify chinch bugs in your lawn is to do the drench test (or “coffee can test”).

We had a few chinch bug infestations on our lawn when I was a child, so my two cousins and I would count the chinch bugs in the coffee cans and report back to my dad. We didn’t think we were making much of a difference, but looking back, it actually helped my dad figure out just how bad an infestation was.

1. Pick a spot where the grass looks brown, wilted, or damaged, especially in a hot, sunny area of your lawn.

2. Cut the top and bottom off a metal coffee can or use any open-ended cylinder. Push the can about 2 to 3 inches into the soil.
3. Fill the container about halfway with soapy water, then wait 5 to 10 minutes. If chinch bugs are present, they’ll float to the surface. 
4. Test multiple areas, especially at the edges of brown patches where chinch bugs usually feed. If you count 15 to 25 chinch bugs per square foot, start treatment.
   

Chinch bugs can be a tough pest to handle for beginners. If it sounds overwhelming to get rid of ching bugs yourself, Lawn Love can connect you with a local pest removal expert.

How to control chinch bugs naturally

Unlike chemical treatments, biological control lets beneficial organisms do the pest-fighting work. Here are a few helpful options for chinch bugs:

Natural enemies

Like other pests, chinch bugs have natural predators that help keep their numbers in check.

These include birds, spiders, ants, big-eyed bugs, lady beetles, and lacewings, all of which feed on chinch bugs at different stages of their lives.

How to attract natural enemies: Grow flowering plants to attract beneficial insects with nectar and pollen. These can include dill, False Queen Anne’s lace, fennel, common sunflower, sweet alyssum, and cow parsnip. A bird-friendly yard with shrubs, trees, and a birdbath can also attract birds like sparrows and wrens to your yard.

Beneficial nematodes

Tiny soil-dwelling organisms called beneficial nematodes attack chinch bug larvae and other harmful insects by entering their bodies and killing them from within. Unlike chemical pesticides, nematodes target only specific insects and won’t harm earthworms, pollinators, or pets. Over time, they can establish themselves in your yard, providing ongoing pest control with minimal effort.

• Where to buy them: Local nurseries, online retailers, and farm supply stores.
• Estimated cost: Around $20 to $40 for a package, depending on the quantity.
• How fast they work: Typically, it takes a few days to see results. Longer if the infestation is large.
• What to use to apply them: A sprayer or watering can, usually mixed with water according to the instructions.
• When to use them: In early spring or late summer, when chinch bugs are most active and the soil is moist. To keep the beneficial nematodes effective and protect them from UV rays, spray them in the morning or evening. Otherwise, choose an overcast day.

Parasitic wasps

Parasitic wasps are tiny, non-stinging wasps that are completely harmless to you but lethal to chinch bugs. Certain species, such as Eumicrosoma benefica, lay their eggs inside chinch bug nymphs. Once they hatch, the larvae consume the nymphs from the inside, naturally reducing their population.

• Where to buy them: Garden centers and nurseries, online biological control suppliers like Arbico Organics, Planet Natural, or Nature’s Good Guys, and some agricultural extension offices.
• Estimated cost: Around $20 to $40 for a package, depending on the quantity.
• How fast they work: Typically, it takes a few days to see results, but it may take 1 to 3 weeks to completely eliminate them.
• How to apply them: A sprayer or watering can, usually mixed with water according to the instructions.
• When to use them: During early morning or evening hours when temperatures are cooler, and when chinch bugs are in their nymph stage (spring through summer)

Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a powder that’s deadly to chinch bugs and other insects. Once it comes into contact with the bugs, it dries them out by sucking the oils and moisture from their shells, eventually killing them.

• Where to buy it: Most garden centers, online stores, pet stores, and health retailers.
• Estimated cost: Around $20 to $50 per bag, depending on the size.
• How fast it works: As insects come into contact with it, the full effect may take a few days to a week.
• What to use to apply it: A duster or spreader for even application. Specialty sprayers also exist.
• When to use it: During dry conditions when chinch bugs are active, usually in the early morning or evening when the sun isn’t as intense. Wet or damp DE doesn’t work.

Neem oil

Made from neem tree seeds, neem oil is an effective yet natural way to control pests. It disrupts the growth and feeding patterns of chinch bugs, making it harder for them to reproduce and damage your lawn. Plus, it has antifungal benefits, giving your lawn extra protection.

• Where to buy it: Garden centers, home improvement stores, nurseries, agricultural supply stores, and online retailers like Amazon, Home Depot, Lowe’s, and specialized garden websites.
• Estimated cost: Typically costs between $10 to $25 for a 16- to 32-ounce bottle of concentrate. 
• How fast it works: Neem oil works gradually. You begin to see results within 3 to 7 days, but complete control typically takes 1 to 2 weeks with repeated applications. 
• What to use to apply it: Use a pump sprayer or backpack sprayer for larger lawns, or a hose-end sprayer for easier application across wide areas
• When to use it: Apply in early morning or late evening to prevent leaf burn and allow time for absorption when chinch bugs are active (spring through early fall). Apply every 7 to 14 days for at least two to three applications for effective control

Mix of water and dish soap

A mixture of water and dish soap is an easy and affordable way to kill chinch bugs on contact. The soap breaks down their outer layer, causing dehydration and suffocation. It’s perfect for spot-treating areas where you’ve noticed chinch bug activity.

One of my editors, Tom McNiff, swears by this method, which he learned from a neighbor who was a walking library of natural remedies. 

“One summer, I lost about a third of my lawn to chinch bugs,” Tom said. “Every summer after, I’d spray a generous mix of dish soap and water across the entire lawn, and I never had a problem again.”

How to make the solution: Mix 4 tablespoons of liquid dish soap with a gallon of water. Spray it directly onto affected patches of grass, but don’t go overboard. Too much soap can dry out your lawn.

Chemicals that work against chinch bugs

If you’ve tried all the natural methods and are still seeing chinch bugs, it might be time to consider chemical options, like contact or systemic insecticides.

Contact insecticides kill chinch bugs on contact. As they coat their outer bodies, they disrupt their nervous system and cause paralysis or death. Meanwhile, systemic insecticides work from within. They’re absorbed by the grass and spread throughout it, making the lawn toxic. As the chinch bugs feed on the grass, they die.

There’s one catch, though. These treatments aren’t picky, so they can also harm beneficial insects.

“The chemicals can be consumed not just by pests but also by bees, larval (juvenile) and adult butterflies, and the many beneficial predators and parasitoids that eat pollen or nectar as adults,” warns the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

If you’re determined to take the chemical route, you have several options at your disposal.

Contact pyrethroids

Pyrethroids work on contact, which means they only need to touch the insect. Once the bugs come into contact with it, their nervous system starts to fail, causing paralysis and eventually death.

Since pyrethroids need direct contact, they’re less effective against pests hidden in the soil or thatch.

• Key active ingredients: Bifenthrin, permethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin
• Where to buy them: Garden centers, nurseries, and online shops
• Estimated cost: It depends on the product and quantity. Typically, you can expect to pay from $50 to $150.
• How fast they work: They start paralyzing pests a few hours after contact. They have good residual control that lasts for several days to weeks, depending on the weather.
• What to use to apply them: Backpack or handheld sprayers.
• When to use them: At the first sign of infestation, in the early morning or late afternoon.

Systemic neonicotinoids

Systemic neonicotinoids work from the inside out, soaking into your grass and spreading through the whole plant. When chinch bugs take a bite, they get a fast-acting dose that knocks them out quickly. 

Neonicotinoids generally provide residual control for several days to a few weeks, depending on environmental conditions and the specific formulation used. As broad-spectrum insecticides, they can kill beneficial insects like ladybugs and bees, so use them carefully.

• Key active ingredients: Clothianidin, imidacloprid
• Where to buy them: Garden centers, agricultural suppliers, and online retailers.
• Estimated cost: $40 to $100, depending on the concentrations.
• How fast they work: Within 24 to 48 hours, but they may take up to a week for full effect.
• What to use to apply them: A sprayer for a soil drench or foliar treatment or a spreader for granules.
• When to use them: Early in the season as prevention or at the first sight of the bugs. For ongoing pest control, when the chinch bugs are actively feeding, in late spring to early summer.

Lawn maintenance practices that control chinch bugs

Good lawn care helps keep chinch bugs away, but alone, it isn’t enough to wipe out a full-blown infestation after it starts. Here are some things you can do:

Mow properly

Mow your lawn to suit your grass type’s recommended height — typically around 2.5 to 4 inches. When your grass is taller, it shades the soil and keeps things cool and moist, the opposite of what chinch bugs like.

Also, keep your lawn mower blades sharp; dull ones rip the grass instead of cutting it cleanly. Those jagged edges left behind take a long time to heal, ruin curb appeal, and weaken the grass, giving chinch bugs an easier way in.

Read more about mowing:

• How to Mow a Lawn the Right Way
• How Often Should You Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades?
• 6 Different Lawn Mowing Patterns
• 8 Lawn Mowing Tips and Tricks
• When Not to Mow Your Lawn
• Lawn Mower Safety Tips

Water correctly

When your lawn gets the right amount of water, it grows strong roots that help it thrive and resist pests like chinch bugs.

But irrigation helps in other ways, too, says the Michigan State University (MSU) Extension. 

“Chinch bugs are most likely to become problematic on non-irrigated lawns. If it rains when they are active or if there is an irrigation system, there is a naturally occurring fungal pathogen that will attack them.” Under the right moist conditions, the Beauvaria bassiana fungus can naturally keep chinch bugs in check.

How often you water largely depends on the type of grass you have.

• Cool-season grass does better with three weekly waterings and 1.5 inches of water.
• Warm-season grass usually needs two waterings and 1 to 1.5 inches of water.

Also, stick to early-morning watering so your lawn has time to soak up the moisture before the heat kicks in. This helps reduce stress and doesn’t leave the grass too damp, which could cause fungal diseases.

Read more about watering:

• When is the Best Time to Water Your Lawn in Hot Weather?
• When to Stop Watering Your Lawn
• How Long Should You Water Your Lawn?
• How Often Should I Water My Lawn with a Sprinkler System

Dethatch periodically

Thatch is the layer of dead grass and organic material that builds up between the soil and your grass. It provides the perfect hiding place for chinch bugs to breed and cause damage.

If your lawn has more than ½ inch of thatch, it’s time to dethatch. Use a rake or a power dethatcher to remove the excess. Besides helping your grass breathe and absorb water better, it exposes chinch bugs to their natural predators.

Read more: How to Dethatch Your Lawn

Aerate

If you want to boost soil health and make your lawn less inviting to pests, core aeration is a lawn care practice you shouldn’t skip. This method pulls actual plugs of soil from the lawn, improving water absorption, helping roots grow deeper, and encouraging microbial activity. 

If you have warm-season grass, aerate in late spring to early summer when it’s actively growing. For cool-season grass, aerate in the fall for best results. 

Read more:

• Liquid Aeration vs. Core Aeration: What’s the Difference?
• Core Aeration vs. Spike Aeration
• Why, When, and How to Aerate Your Lawn
• How to Prepare Your Lawn for Aeration

Use hardy turfgrasses

Certain turfgrasses are naturally more resistant to chinch bugs due to their thick blades, dense growth habits, strong roots, and drought tolerance.

These grasses either repel the pests or just don’t provide the right conditions for them to thrive. They’re resilient enough that you can cut down on chemical treatments, making pest control more eco-friendly.

Look for varieties of perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, and fine fescue that contain endophytes, beneficial fungi that are toxic to chinch bugs and other pests. 

Empire Zoysiagrass and certain St. Augustinegrass cultivars like Floratam and Captiva are also great options because they handle heat and drought exceptionally well. Since chinch bugs love dry, stressed grass, these types are less likely to be affected.

Read more about grass:

• An Ultimate Guide to Grass Types
• 6 Best Grasses for Dogs
• Best Drought-Tolerant Grasses
• 6 Best Grasses for High-Traffic Areas
• Best Grasses to Walk on Barefoot

FAQ about getting rid of chinch bugs

Don’t let the bugs get the best of you

If chinch bugs are taking over your lawn, contact a local pest control professional for help. They know how to eliminate pests and help your lawn regain the upper hand. 

Once that’s done, you might want to give your lawn a fresh start after all the damage. Lawn Love can link you up with a nearby lawn care expert to help with that.

Main photo credit: Christina Butler | Flickr | CC BY-SA 2.0