There are several different species of chinch bugs.  The general behavior and life cycles are similar between species, as are the methods to control the bugs.  As with any pest or disease problem, the key to successful treatment is correct identification and understanding.  Don't let chinch bugs destroy your lawn.  Here's how to recognize them, and how to get rid of them.

Identifying Chinch Bugs

Chinch bugs are insects that are black, with black and white wings.  They undergo five stages of growth (instars).  During the first two instars, they have red and black markings.  The second two instars are orange and black, while the adults are black and white.  It is sometimes easier to identify these pests with a combination of looking for the insects themselves, and looking for their damage to the lawn.  That's because the damage to the grass is similar to damage by other pests and diseases, and the insects can sometimes be hard to find.  Looking for a combination of the insects and the symptoms will help you identify these pests correctly. The insects cause damage by inserting their piercing/sucking mouth parts into the grass blade and sucking out the juice from the grass blades.  That leaves the grass blade to dry out and turn brown.  As the population of insects grow, the damaged patches grow and spread, unevenly.  The way to distinguish between damage from chinch bugs and brown patch or other fungal diseases is that damage from the insects is irregular, while damage from fungal diseases is usually regular-circular or ring-shaped.  Search for the bugs themselves along the edges of the damaged areas.  Because they feed on live grass plants, they will not be found in the center of the damaged area.  Once you've properly identified the insect problem, you need to address it to bring your lawn back to health!

Controlling Chinch Bugs

You have to organize a multi-pronged effort to control chinch bugs in the lawn.  They over-winter in the thatch layer of the lawn, so it is important to prevent large amounts of thatch from building up.  If you have had a particularly bad infestation the previous year, you can use insecticide to control the population of adults early in the spring.  To prevent the lawn from succumbing to major problems throughout the year, make sure that it is adequately watered.  Lawns that are stressed from lack of water will be more likely to succumb to chinch bugs.  Avoid insecticides as much as possible, because if you keep the lawn well watered, and do not kill off beneficial bugs, the lawn can largely take care of itself and overcome chinch bug problems.