Is there an organic method of controlling chinch bugs for st augustine grass? (I water twice a week for a total of 1"; due to water restrictions I cannot water any more or less frequently than that).

Pyrethrins (from chrysanthemums) and Neem oil are listed, but I can't speak to the expense or how effective they are.

Get two pieces of wood. Put one on the ground. Put a bug on it. Hit the bug with the other piece of wood. Works every time. My great uncle got a "guaranteed potato bug killer" during the depression (or sometime in that general timeframe). He sent off a dollar and got two blocks of wood with those instructions. The story that got passed down had him laughing too hard to be angry.

Pyrethrin is very effective but has limitations. It kills every insect it comes into contact with, but it degrades very quickly in sun light. After 24 hours it is harmless so it has no residual effects This is why it is popular with organic veggy gardeners. So with that in mind it will not do anything to the eggs so you will have to make repeated applications

texasweed wrote:Pyrethrin is very effective but has limitations. It kills every insect it comes into contact with, but it degrades very quickly in sun light. After 24 hours it is harmless so it has no residual effects This is why it is popular with organic veggy gardeners. So with that in mind it will not do anything to the eggs so you will have to make repeated applications

Another very effective control with longer residual effect is good ole Tobacco Tea. Get you a couple of bags of good Ole Beechnut Chewing tobacco, put it in a 1 quart canning jar with a tight fitting lid and set it out in the sun for a couple of days. Mix that with 3 T/Gal of water and spray. Be worth it to get one of the hose end sprayer bottle with a dial type gauge. Pour the straight tea into the bottle and spray. Be careful with the stuff because it is very toxic and can make you very ill if you get the straight tea on your skin if you do not wash it off immediately. It is Nicotine Sulfate which is one of the deadliest poisons there is.

bpgreen wrote:Get two pieces of wood. Put one on the ground. Put a bug on it. Hit the bug with the other piece of wood. Works every time. My great uncle got a "guaranteed potato bug killer" during the depression (or sometime in that general timeframe). He sent off a dollar and got two blocks of wood with those instructions. The story that got passed down had him laughing too hard to be angry.

"Boot Hill Bug Spray,
That's my brand!
If the spray don't kill 'em,
Crush 'em with the can!"

Beneficial nematodes are a classic cure for bad bugs. Here is a link. I can buy that brand locally, so check around. The need a film of water to move around when they are applied. The best time to apply is day 2 of a 4-day rainstorm. They kill in about 48 hours by bringing a disease to the bugs. It is a bug disease only so birds, reptiles, fish, and mammals are not harmed. They also work against grubs, fleas, and ticks (when used in the winter).

"The Winter" down south, right? I'd hate to see the Minneapolis crowd applying them in February.

andy10917 wrote:"The Winter" down south, right? I'd hate to see the Minneapolis crowd applying them in February.

Not unless they also spray tiny little sweaters and long underwear for the nematodes, no.

For anywhere the ground freezes in winter, nematode application is not on the docket (or shouldn't be). They aren't active in freezing weather (at best).

Up here, depending on your goal, spring, summer, or early fall applications are best. Summer applications can be a challenge as the soil must be kept moist.

Tick control must be done when the ticks are still in the soil and not up on the leaves. That is when the soil temp is still rather chilly but frozen is too cold.