Chinch bugs could be coming to a lawn near you as summer arrives on the fast track.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension wrote a complete article on these bugs. The quick facts are below:

The southern chinch bug is a pest of St. Augustine grass, particularly during periods of hot, dry weather as is common in July and August.

Chinch bug infestations often are spotty and may be restricted to certain lawns or parts of lawns. When chinch bug numbers are large, and particularly during extended dry periods, severely damaged grass turns yellow and dies. […] Damage is usually seen as irregular patches of dead or dying grass; as damage progresses, these patches grow and coalesce until the whole lawn may be lost.

Treatment is usually considered when damage symptoms appear and chinch bugs are detected at the edge of the damaged area using the flotation or vacuum method.