Eggs hatch in about 2 weeks. Newly hatched nymphs are very small, bright red insects with a white band across the back. With each of 5 molts, the nymphs become darker and more closely resemble the adults. The newly hatched nymphs are vigorous and begin feeding immediately on tender portions of grass stems. The nymphal stages of the insect cause most of the damage by clogging the plant's conductive tissues, thus, preventing water and nutrients from reaching leaves and new shoots.
Damage first appears as scattered yellow areas that rapidly enlarge to brown, dead spots.
Within a given lawn or area, the chinch bugs occur aggregated in scattered patches rather than uniformly distributed. When chlorotic or wilted patches are noticed, ample time remains to apply controls before large areas are damaged. In northern states, two generations of chinch bugs usually occur each year. The first generation appears in June and the second in August. The greatest injury is caused during July and August when the turf is under moisture stress.