Bugs are out of control Tom MacCubbin IN THE GARDEN
Question: My lawn and those of my neighbors have looked pretty good until this year, when they filled with enlarging brown spots. Most likely this is chinch-bug damage, and nothing seems to stop them. Can you help?
Answer: Out-of-control chinch bugs are ravaging local lawns. Just drive through any neighborhood, and you can spot the strawlike areas that occupy much of the home turf by the time the bugs are brought under control.
Many feel the chinch bugs are becoming resistant to common pesticides and repeat applications are not stopping these pests. The synthetic pyrethroids are what most homeowners and spray companies are applying. These are found in the common brands at garden centers for lawn insect control. Some spray companies are using combination products not found at garden centers in an attempt to control these pests.
If you have done a good job of treating your lawn and the chinch bugs are winning, switch to a Dylox- or Sevin-containing turf insecticide. Each is a different type of insecticide that the chinch bugs should not be resistant to at this time. One new St. Augustine named Captiva is resistant to pests, and other grass types including bahia, bermuda and zoysia are not attacked by the chinch bugs found in local lawns. So, changing lawn grasses would also be a form of control.
