Cinch Bug Control

False chinch bug threat may target sorghum, soybean fields

These insects typically feed on plants in the mustard and beet family, but when their preferred foods dry up because of plant maturity or plants having been sprayed with a burndown before planting in no-till operations, the pests leave in search of other tasty treats.

“At this time, sorghum and double crop soybean fields are vulnerable to false chinch bug infestations,” said Phil Mulder, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension entomologist and head of the OSU Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology.

False chinch bugs injure plants by sucking sap which results in wilted, weakened plants. In addition to the sap loss, feeding by false chinch bug seems to produce a physical reaction in some plants.

“As examples, soybeans may exhibit a ‘burned’ appearance on the edges of the leaf blades and sorghum may turn red on the stem and leaves that are being fed upon,” Mulder said. “Young plants may be killed, resulting in stand loss.”

False chinch bugs live for about 40 days – from egg hatch through the adult stage – and go through four or more generations per year in Oklahoma. 

Tom Royer, OSU Cooperative Extension integrated pest management coordinator, warns that seedling plants are particularly vulnerable to damage.

“Control is warranted if small sorghum or soybean seedlings are being killed, or when either crop is flowering and under heat stress,” he said. 

Seedlings treated with an insecticide such as imidacloprid, thiamethoxam or clothianidin should be protected for 15 to 20 days. However, under extremely heavy numbers, false chinch bugs can overwhelm the plants and cause stand loss.

“If false chinch bugs are killing stands, say 5 percent to 10 percent stand loss, foliar sprays should be applied with as much water carrier as is feasible, aiming for 20 or more gallons per acre,” Royer said. “Keep checking fields because control is made more difficult due to continual migration of flying adults.”

Royer and Mulder recommend that sorghum growers institute treatment procedures if seedlings are being destroyed, or when scouting indicates more than 140 false chinch bugs per head.

McLennan County Master Gardeners » Blog Archive Chinch Bug Problem

Q. Last year large areas of my lawn turned brown and died, I was told that I may have had a chinch bug problem. This year the grass is not growing in well and seems to be a bit off color and thin, what can I do to improve it and get it to grow?

A. First I would treat for chinch bugs again with either a general purpose control or a season long product that also controls grubs. I have been seeing chinch bugs already this year and it is not even summer yet, so they are very active at this time. Then I would fertilize with a good slow acting lawn food that contains a large percentage of water insoluble nitrogen or one of the other slow acting nitrogen’s. You do not want one that has a high percentage of an Ammonia form of nitrogen, this for is used up fast, will not last and can aggravate fungus problems.

Other posts you may be interested in:

Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science

The gardener's guide to common-sense pest control

The chinch-bug and its control

Sports fields, a manual for design, construction, and maintenance

Report on the agricultural experiment stations