[rcw]

My back yard started forming brown patches recently and I can't figure out what is causing it. Some of the spots look like someone poured gas on them. The spots are very defined, dark brown, totally dead and dryer than a popcorn fart. Other areas are just slightly brown and/or the blades of grass are turning yellow. I dug up a few spots looking for grub worms but didn't find any. I then sprayed some fungus stuff on the yard from Lowes last month and it hasn't helped. Can anybody recommend a product that they have had positive results from? Please hurry because it's spreading to my front yard!

 

[ChickFilet]

Sounds like chinch bugs. Leeper will be along shortly and is your best bet here for help. The man knows grass!

 

[Solid Action]

Continue to use the Fung Away that you buy from Lowes. You might try using the granules applied with a spreader. Water them in good.

You can also go to the feed store and buy some corn meal. It isn't the same thing that you buy at the grocery store and you need to get it from a feed store. Spread it liberally on the areas and water it in.

You more than likely have a fungus and you can spread it with your mower. You need to spray clorox on the bottom of your mower and the blade, or you will be spreading it to the rest of your yard.

 

[Fish-a-mon]

Not chinch bug as chinch bug is a fall-winter problem. What you have is more than likely Kill-all fungus. Go to your local Home Depot or Walmart and buy something that kills the Kill-all fungus. You will lose more if not all of the St. Augustine if you do not apply the killer.

 

[cloudfishing]

Fungus

That is very valuable info, I have just about killed my front yard and half of the back yard last year, I just started spraying Fungicied it helped but it kept spreading to other places. Thanks on the heads up on spraying the underside of the deck with Clorox. This is probably why it spread all over my yard. The mower acts as the host? Did not mean to steal this thread but thanks for asking the question!

Be cool,
cloudfishing

 

[ChickFilet]

Chinch bugs love hot, dry yards. Are you sure they are not a possibility?

 

[waterspout]

http://www.pestproducts.com/chinchbugs.htm#Talstar

Chinch Bugs, Their Damage and Elimination

Chinch bugs are most damaging to St. Augustine grass. You may see them on grasses such as zoysia, Bermuda, and centipede, but infestations usually occur where high populations have built up on St. Augustine grass. Adult chinch bugs are about one-fifth of an inch long and black with white wings folded over their backs. The insect mates early in the season when the temperature reaches 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The female lays eggs on roots, stems, leaves, leaf sheaths or crevices in nodes and other protected places. Eggs are laid over a 2 to 3 week period, with one female laying as many as 500 eggs.

The young chinch bugs ( called nymphs) develop into adults in four to six weeks. Nymphs are yellow upon hatching but soon turn red and have a light colored band across their abdomens. With each molt, nymphs more closely resemble the adults. There are 2 to 4 generations per year.

The chinch bugs insert their slender beak into the grass and suck the plant juices. As the chinch bug sucks the plant juices, it releases a toxin that causes yellowish to brownish patches in turf. Typical injury appears as spreading patches of brown, dead grass. This pest is a sunshine-loving insect and seldom attacks grass in a dense shady area. Discolored areas caused by chinch bug feeding that are in open sunlight several hours daily may be "hot spots" for chinch bug damage. Most homeowners will first notice dead patches of grass along a driveway, curb, sidewalk or foundation of the home, due to the heat emitted from such objects.

Because they can fly, it is difficult to keep an area free of chinch bugs if they are emerging from neighboring lawns, golf courses or nearby croplands.

Inspecting For Chinch Bugs

Scout turf on sunny days by slowly sliding your foot through the sod and watching for the bugs to crawl across your shoe. You can also determine infestations by using a large coffee can or gallon can with both ends removed. Press one end of the can about 2 or 3 inches into the soil, fill with soapy water, and watch for about 5 minutes. If chinch bugs are present, they will float to the surface. (This test will also bring molecrickets to the surface) It is very important to check areas where the yellowish spots and the green grass meet in several different locations.

 

[gatorbait]

yup

Not chinch bug as chinch bug is a fall-winter problem. What you have is more than likely Kill-all fungus. Go to your local Home Depot or Walmart and buy something that kills the Kill-all fungus. You will lose more if not all of the St. Augustine if you do not apply the killer.

If you know its not bugs then Im with Fish-A-mon. I had this last year and watering and spraying did nothing. I lost an area about 15ftX15ft to it and it is just now coming back in this year. It killed it D-E-D, dead. lol

Z

 

[Crab_n_Fisher]

:rotfl: Getting drunk and urinating in the yard also kills grass. Do you remember those good times? hehe....

 

[jabx1962]

What Waterspout said....

 

[warcat]

CHINCH BUGS!!!!!!

Treat your yard with bug killer QUICK!!!!
Use two to three times the recommended dosage.

They will completely ruin your yard, and you'll have to spend BIG $$$ to replace it. IT WILL NOT COME BACK ON IT'S OWN!!!!!

If you act quickly, you'll be alright, but these bugs mean business. You need to treat your entire yard QUICK.

BTW, chinch bugs is not a Fall/ Winter problem. It's a dry, hot, summer problem. Ask my neighbor, his entire yard was lost to them last summer, costing thousands of dollars to replace. They got me too, but I treated immediately, and luckily didn't lose everything. My back yard no longer has St. Augustine grass anymore-- I guess the chinch bugs don't like the leftover bermuda that was mixed in... My back yard is now all bermuda.

 

[txgunrunner]

after you treat it give your lawn 2 or 3 deep waterings per week as needed. some people make the mistake of watering too often for short periods. also water in the morning so what doesnt absorb in the soil evaporates off the grass during the day. good luck to you. peace

 

[Bobby]

I had some small round brown spots show up in my grass. I figured it out everytime I took Ginger out to potty everywhere she would squat, The next day it was brown.:smile:

 

[waterspout]

after you treat it give your lawn 2 or 3 deep waterings per week as needed. some people make the mistake of watering too often for short periods. also water in the morning so what doesnt absorb in the soil evaporates off the grass during the day. good luck to you. peace

That's the whole key. Most people water in the afternoon and that lets the grass sit wet all night and grows fungus. Water early and alot twice a week . Make sure its a deep watering to make the root system healthy. This will help your yard big time.

 

[luv2fish]

I had chinch bugs. my neighbor (Howard) MR YARD to us folks showed me how to check for them. Cut out both ends of a coffee can, stomp it into the effected area, fill with water, and watch those lil things swim. Then get BUSY treating, they move yard to yard.Winter fertilized early this spring and our yard has made a come back from last year. YOU LIL CHINCH BUGS GOT TO GO. Bye Bye.

 

[CHARLIE]

Chinch bugs first and then anti fungus. I use Consan 20-20 for fungus and has always worked. Always spray outside of the brown areas too. Had chinch bugs last two weeks ago and treated and the grass is making a come back. They love good, fertalized, lush green St augustine.

Charlie

 

[hlturner]

also helps to rake out dead grass, healthy grass will quickly fill in the void.

 

[Drew_Smoke]

Save the Fung-away for October. If you do have any disease (which I have seen some with the rains) it will clear up as the lawn dries out.

Sounds like you have chinch bugs OR just drought stress. You don't need the coffee can to look for them. If they are there, you can see them scurrying about on the yellowing edges..

Treat your yard with bug killer QUICK!!!!
Use two to three times the recommended dosage.

Don't do this. Read the label and follow it. This is why you see more & more products up for elimination. Diazinon was showing up BIG TIME in Ft Worth's water supply years ago. They had to buy TV time to tell folks to quit using it. Now its gone too.

I have only seen a couple of bad cases so far this year. Both of them were down the street from Hulahopper in Spring Branch.

 

[BEER4BAIT]

I look at it as less to mow, = more fishing time.

 

[warcat]

Save the Fung-away for October. If you do have any disease (which I have seen some with the rains) it will clear up as the lawn dries out.

Sounds like you have chinch bugs OR just drought stress. You don't need the coffee can to look for them. If they are there, you can see them scurrying about on the yellowing edges..

Treat your yard with bug killer QUICK!!!!
Use two to three times the recommended dosage.

Don't do this. Read the label and follow it. This is why you see more & more products up for elimination. Diazinon was showing up BIG TIME in Ft Worth's water supply years ago. They had to buy TV time to tell folks to quit using it. Now its gone too.

I have only seen a couple of bad cases so far this year. Both of them were down the street from Hulahopper in Spring Branch.

I was just stressing that these bugs are 100% detrimental to your yard, and they must be killed.....
You can use the recommeded dosage- it should work.