Both Josh Lofton and myself have been talking a lot about the magnitude of chinch bugs we’ve seen this year and the devastation they are having on the crops, both false and true chinch bugs. They have marched through sorghum and now are being found in corn fields. They seen especially bad in failed wheat fields. And in my fields anywhere I had a crabgrass. We are also hearing and seeing a significant increase in blister beetles and stink bugs in soybeans. As a soil scientist all I can recommend is to scout Often, and contact an entomologist or trusted advisor. Kansas State just put out and E-update yesterday with this article from Jeff Whitworth I wanted to share.

Chinch bugs are active in Kansas

Guest Author Jeff Whitworth, Extension Entomologist jwhitwor@ksu.edu

Chinch bugs have historically been a problem in Kansas–in lawns, golf courses, turf farms, etc. But in agriculture, they are mainly a problem in sorghum. However, they can also affect corn and occasionally wheat. Since they are true bugs, chinch bugs may attack any grass where they insert their mouthparts into the plants and suck out the juice. This often has little to no effect on the plant unless there are large numbers of bugs and/or the plants are growing under less-than-ideal conditions so that they are already stressed. Chinch bug feeding simply adds to this stress.

Sampling for chinch bugs the week of July 4 indicated that 95% of the chinch bug population in north central Kansas were adults (Figure 1). Adults don’t feed as much as nymphs but are more concerned with mating, oviposition, etc. This means the majority of feeding in crops (sorghum, corn, etc.) is still to come after the nymphs hatch (Figure 2).

Treating for chinch bugs needs to be accomplished using as much carrier (water) as practical to ensure the insecticide gets good coverage on the plants, including the base of the plants (sprays directed at the base of the plants will help). Nymphs produced now will most likely become adults in 3-4 weeks, then mate and start the process all over again for another generation, which will then move to fall-planted wheat, then on to overwintering sites. They overwinter in bunch grasses then move to wheat in the spring to deposit eggs and start all over again.

Original link https://eupdate.agronomy.ksu.edu/article_new/chinch-bugs-are-active-in-kansas-553-4

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