Cinch Bugs
Cinch Bugs And The Tangled Web They Weave
Cinch bugs are known primarily to the southern regions of North America, where the turf that they prefer is commonly grown and used as sod. Literally millions of dollars are spent per year by people trying to fix the damages done by this bug, and the possibilities of its eradication are growing more and more bleak with every breeding and mating season. Cinch bugs are a class A pest in the very definition of the term, and have been spotted as far north as Tennessee. If you have planted or purchased St. Augustine grass for your yard or place of business, and your winters aren’t extremely harsh, you may be setting yourself up for trouble with these tiny creatures of mass destruction.
Cinch bugs are, as mentioned, prone to the south, and rarely measure more than 6 millimeters in length. Though he can fly, he rarely uses his wings as mode to travel, and retains the same feeding grounds throughout his 16 to 22 month life span. He over winters by embedding in the roots of the St. Augustine grass, though he will remain active should the weather permit. This is usually a very disconcerting problem in Florida, where the moisture retention in the ground keeps him fortified and therefore active. Should cinch bugs fall dormant during the fall and winter months, however, his path of destruction will pick up anew where the last one left off as soon as spring hits. Moisture and warmth are key, and the strong, dense, and nutritious root system of his grass of choice give him a very good outlook on the future.
When cinch bugs do decide that their area has become too overcrowded, or when they have stripped all of the nutrition and safety out of their former feeding grounds, they move together, and quickly. During a standard relocation, a group of one to five hundred of these cinch bugs will surface and begin running together. Remembering that these bugs reach a maximum of 6 millimeters in length apiece, they can haul at an alarming 400 feet in less than one hour’s time. This is remarkable, to be honest, if not a little bit creepy. They will run until the turf is greener, more moist, so that they can begin their reign of terror on this new chunk of sod.
Cinch bugs are a pretty hardy little creature as well, so much so that there are specialized pesticide treatments meant just for targeting him and his veracious offspring. Homeowners are advised to peel up areas of dead grass, starting at least four feet to the outside of the infestation, and replace it with healthy grass which is then treated with pesticide.