Chinch bug control!!

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Floridian Lutz, FL(Zone 9b) Nov 28, 2001

Anyone have any organic solutions to these nasty critters?
My brother's lawn looks awful and he's talking about using poisons to kill them! He said he'd be willing to use organic if I could find info about it. TIA

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Horseshoe Efland, NC(Zone 7a) Nov 28, 2001

Well, not speaking from experience here cuz I have never dealt w/them but have a bit of info from one of my pest/disease books. First, they thrive in poorly-fed lawns...the lower the nutrients the longer they live and the more eggs they lay. If your brothers yard isn't huge it says you can broadcast a soil made of one third sharp builders sand, one third crushed rock, and one third compost. (All those can be purchased at a garden store).
Also, "big-eyed bugs" are their natural predator and feeds on the adults, eggs, and also spider mites, plant bugs leafhoppers and the like. So, don't spray pest killers or you wipe out the good guys! Also, the book goes on to say the chinch bugs love sunny areas...I realize you are in Fla where there is lots of sun but your brother might want to consider planting more bushes/trees that offer shade instead of having a golf-course yard.
One other weapon is a naturally occurring funus called "Beauveria bassiana" that infects the chinch bugs and kills them. (It is also called "green muscadine" fungus.) Perhaps this is available commercially. Good luck!

Post #169403
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Floridian Lutz, FL(Zone 9b) Nov 29, 2001

'Shoe, thanks so much for the info. I printed your response along with some other 'facts' I'd found by researching and gave it all to him. Hopefully he can get them under control before the next hatch.

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