Quote:
Originally Posted by Ptmcbriz
Chinch bugs are ruining St Augustine grass really fast this year. At first it looks like a patch of area is not getting enough water. It’s a wilted looking. Go Lowe’s and buy a bag of Triazicide and spread it according to directions. It’s a granular. Then water the heck out of your grass. You’ll want to to it now to get a jump on them in the spring. I had to water 10 minutes every morning plus the two days a week of deep watering of 45 minutes each. I grass is thick and lush but I jumped on it fast when any area started looking bad. St Augustine seems to require more water than the normal TV standards to keep it looking lush.
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Thanks for posting this. Good information. I think I have cinch bugs too, at least that's what someone from Massey told me when they came to my door soliciting service. I bought my place in August had sat empty for a year and a half so I'm sure no one was taking care of the lawn. I went out and bought a granular from Bayer called Merit. It's supposed to work really well with cinch bugs. I have no idea if it's working though because I'm not really sure how to identify them, other than dead spots in the lawn. I applied this with a normal granular broadcast spreader. I might do a second application pretty soon.
I also do my own general pest control. I will alternate between talspar P and Termidor four times a year. That's what I did in my previous home. The Termidor is better for ants and termites because it's a slow release and they take it back to the nest. I just go around the whole house about 4 feet up the wall and 4 feet out into the yard and hit the eaves that I can reach.
As for weeds, I have nutsedge, which I treated with something called sedgehammer. I just applied it yesterday so it's too early to see if it's working. It's a little spendy though. I also have clover and something I think they call Hawksbeard (which is kind of like dandelions where I came from) that regular spectraside (the kind that doesn't kill grass) from Home Depot or Lowes seems to work. The Hawksbeard is starting to wilt a little. If it survives, I bought something called Celsius, also from Bayer, that's supposed to work really good. But that's expensive so I'm gonna try the spectraside first because it's cheaper. I'll come back and update my post after I get some results. All of the applications above, except for the Merit, you mix with water and spray on. I know I could just pay Massey or other service to do it but it is a lot cheaper to DIY and I am the kind of person who likes to do it myself anyway.
I'm gonna keep watching this thread to see what others suggest.