Chinch Bugs

Adult chinch bugs are only about 1/5 inch long, about the size of a ladybug. They have black bodies marked by a black triangular pad which separates white, folded wings. Immature bugs, called nymphs, are reddish colored. Chinch bugs cluster in lawns down among grass blades near the crowns of the grass plants and suck juices from their tissues. Their feeding causes grass to appear yellowish and sometimes stains the grass red. These bugs thrive in hot, dry weather, becoming active when temperatures are in the high 70s.