Chinch bugs are a complex of three different species within the Lygaeidae family. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts and they feed on the sap of grass plants. They reside in the thatch area of the turf grass stand and prefer to feed on the lower leaf sheath and crown area of the plant. The chinch bug inserts its straw-like mouthparts into the plant tissue and sucks out the plant juices while injecting chemicals into the plant, which clog the vascular system. The area around the feeding puncture usually turns yellow. Damaged areas first appear as small, irregular patches, which enlarge as the insects spread. Chinch bugs are most damaging in open, sunny areas. Chinch bugs spend the winter as adults in partially protected areas (under shrubs or around foundations of houses). As the weather warms in the spring, adults move into open areas, where females begin laying eggs. The eggs hatch in one to two weeks, and the nymphs begin to suck the juices from host plants.

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