Chinch bugs are often considered soil insects due to the location of their injury which is at or just below soil level. Damaged plants will often express a host of nutritional maladies. Stunted, yellow, wilting, and dying plants are all symptoms of chinch bug injury. Damaging populations of chinch bugs that develop in grain and forage systems are nearly impossible to control. Conservation tillage systems enhance chinch bug problems in grains.
Chinch bugs are typically more of a problem in dry years.
Adults emerge in the spring, mate and lay eggs at the base of developing grass or grain crops. First spring generation develops on wheat and other winter grain crops. Most infestations in agronomic systems occur as chinch bugs migrate from winter grains into summer grass crops. There are six developmental life stages from egg to adult. It is believed there are 2-3 generations per year.