Comfirm You Have Chinch Bugs

• 1
  Confirm the presence of cinch bugs with a metal can.tin image by Aleksandr Ugorenkov from Fotolia.com
  
  If you suspect you have chinch bugs, do a manual inspection on a damaged piece of lawn. Closely examine the area where the dry patch meets the healthy lawn. Look for clusters of red spots. They indicate the presence of eggs and nymphs. Later in the summer you may see the adult chinch bugs. They have distinctive markings on their backs. You can also place a metal can with both ends removed 2 inches into the soil of the damaged area. Fill with water and check after five minutes. If there are more than twenty bugs in the can, you have a major infestation.
  
  
• 2
  Dish soap can help you control chinch bugs.soap bubles image by Pomidors from Fotolia.com
  
  Soak a 2-square-foot patch of lawn with a solution containing 1 ounce of dish soap in a little more than 7 quarts of water. Cover the area with a flannel sheet.
  
  
• 3
  Vacuum the bugs off the flannel sheet.vacuum cleaner image by vb_photo from Fotolia.com
  
  The chinch bugs will crawl to the surface to escape the soapy water and become entrapped in the flannel. Wait 10 to 20 minutes. Remove the sheet and vacuum the bugs off the flannel sheet or immerse the sheet in a bucket of water to drown them.
  
  
• 4). You can vacuum the area directly without using soapy water using a commercial vacuum like a Shop-Vac. Vacuum the dry patch and an area at least 2 feet around its perimeter.
  
  
• 5
  Keep your lawn moist to prevent chinch bugs.hose on lawn image by Coralie Palmeri from Fotolia.com
  
  A healthy lawn is one of the best defenses against chinch bugs. Environment Canada recommends you water your lawn thoroughly, but not too often, and keep the grass just under 3 inches long. The agency also suggests you use a nitrogen fertilizer, remove thatch in the fall and aerate the lawn in spring and fall.