If your lawn looks like it has experienced a drought, you may have chinch bugs. Chinch bugs measure one-third of an inch to one-fourth of an inch long, and they commonly turn from yellow to red upon maturing. One noticeable feature is their folded white wings marked with a dark triangle. It is possible to control chinch bugs on your lawn yourself naturally by following these steps. 

Prepare to Get rid of Chinch Bugs

To remove chinch bugs, you need: 

  • plastic gloves 
  • bucket 
  • spray bottle
  • flannel sheet
  • liquid Castile soap or mild liquid soap 
  • olive oil 
  • Diatomaceous Earth
  • 6-inch diameter coffee can
  • handheld vacuum

To determine if you have a chinch bug infestation, cut the bottom of a coffee can, and push it down into a brown patch two to three inches deep. Add water, and leave it for several minutes.

Five or more bugs indicate a high infestation, two to four bugs indicate a moderate infestation, and less than two could mean another lawn problem, and no treatment is needed..

If you count ten or more, treat them with soap or diatomaceous earth. After you reduce the population, water the lawn once per week to one inch during the mornings, and keep the lawn detached. Avoid over-watering the lawn, since chinch bugs love moisture.

Apply Soap Treatment

Mix two drops of mild liquid soap or Castile soap with a gallon warm water in a bucket, and fill a spray bottle. Don't use extra-strength, anti-grease, or anti-bacterial to avoid grass damage, and never spray it around water areas, which could harm aquatic life from runoff.

For more effectiveness, add two drops of olive oil in the mixture. To save any leftover mixture, pour it into a milk carton, which should keep for up to four months.

It is best to spray the treatment on a non-windy day below 80 degrees F in the morning. Spray the infected areas generously, and lay a flannel sheet over the spot to catch bugs trying to flee. 

After fifteen minutes, retrieve the sheet, submerge it in a bucket of water, or vacuum. Check once each three to four days for another infestation, and repeat the procedure, if needed. 

Treat with Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth is made from powdered fossil remnants. It is effective for chinch bug control, because it dries the exoskeleton. If you have some beneficial insects, you may want to skip this step. 

Buy garden-grade or food-grade, not pool grade, and apply it with a bulb applicator to reduce getting it on your skin. Let the powder stay on the lawn until a rain, then reapply as needed.

For more information, check out websites like http://www.albemarlepestsolutions.com.

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