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Yellow, straw-coloured patches spreading across your lawn even though you water it every day? In Seville the cause is very often not drought but the chinch bug (Blissus), a tiny insect that sucks the sap from the grass. Watering more will not save it; treating the bug in time will.
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- Gardens, communities and sports turf
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Fumigar Plagas Sevilla is a licensed pest control company based in Sanlúcar la Mayor, in the Aljarafe. Every summer we treat private gardens, residential communities and sports grounds in Seville where the lawn is dying in patches. In most of the St Augustine grass lawns we inspect, the problem is the chinch bug.
What is the chinch bug?
The southern chinch bug (Blissus insularis) is a turf pest from the Americas. It mainly attacks St Augustine grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), the broad-bladed grass used in many gardens in Seville. Its first record in Europe was in Portugal in 2021, and it is now causing damage in lawns in southern Spain.
| Stage | Size | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | 2–4 mm | Small, elongated, black, with white patches on the wings folded over the back. |
| Young nymph | About 1 mm | Reddish-orange with a white band across the back. No wings. |
| Older nymph | 2–3 mm | Darker, becoming black as it grows into an adult. |
The bugs feed at the base of the grass, sucking the sap. The blades turn yellow, then straw-coloured, and the patch dies and keeps spreading outwards. In warm climates there are several overlapping generations a year, which is why a few small patches in late spring can become a dead lawn by the end of summer.
Is it chinch bugs or lack of water?
Patches that keep growing
Irregular yellow patches that grow outwards from the edges, often in the sunniest areas or next to paths and walls.
Watering does not help
You water more and the patches keep spreading. Too much water can even rot the weakened roots.
Bugs at the edge
Part the grass where the green turns yellow: chinch bugs gather in that border zone, not in the centre of the dead patch.
St Augustine grass
If your lawn has broad, flat blades, it is the grass this pest prefers.
Check it yourself: the can test
- Find the edgeChoose a spot where the yellow patch meets the green grass.
- Push in a canTake a large tin with both ends removed and push it about 5 cm into the soil.
- Fill it with waterFill the tin with water and wait a few minutes.
- Look at the surfaceIf chinch bugs are present, small black adults and red nymphs float to the top. Send us a photo and we will confirm it.
How we treat chinch bugs in Seville
- InspectionWe confirm the pest, map the affected areas and check how much of the grass can still recover.
- Treatment planWe decide the number of applications according to the infestation and the state of the lawn, using authorised products applied by qualified technicians.
- Applications and follow-upUsually two to four applications a few days apart, checking the response of the lawn and adjusting if needed.
- Recovery adviceWe tell you how to adjust watering and mowing while the grass recovers, and which areas will need re-turfing if the grass is already dead.
Areas we cover
We work across Seville and the Aljarafe: Tomares, Mairena del Aljarafe, Bormujos, Gines, Espartinas, Castilleja de la Cuesta, Sanlúcar la Mayor, Dos Hermanas and the residential areas around the city, and we travel further across the provinces of Seville, Huelva and Cádiz.
Prefer Spanish? Read this service in Spanish: Césped amarillo a parches en Sevilla. For other pests, see our pest control in Seville page.
Photos from a real job in Bormujos
Photos taken by our team in a garden in Bormujos.
Chinch bugs: frequently asked questions
Why is my lawn going yellow if I water it every day?
Because the problem is not water. Chinch bugs suck the sap at the base of the grass, so the blades die even when the soil is wet. More water does not stop them and can rot the roots.
When are chinch bugs most active in Seville?
Damage shows mostly from late spring to the end of summer, when it is hot and dry. With several generations a year, a small problem in May can become a serious one by August.
Do garden-centre insecticides work?
Often not well enough. This species has shown some resistance to insecticides, and the product, the dose and the timing all matter. A wrong treatment wastes weeks while the patches grow.
Is the treatment safe for children and pets?
We give you clear instructions after each application, including how long to keep children and pets off the lawn.
Can a badly damaged lawn be saved?
Grass that is still flexible usually recovers. Grass that is dead at the base will not, and those areas will need re-turfing after the treatment. The inspection tells you which is which.
Source for the description of the species: EPPO (European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization), Alert List: Blissus insularis.
Yellow patches in your lawn?
Send us a photo on WhatsApp and we will tell you if it looks like chinch bugs.
Fumigar Plagas Sevilla · Calle Cardenal Spínola 6, 41800 Sanlúcar la Mayor (Seville) · ROESBA ES-41-S-03876-A
fumigar-plagas-sevilla.es · Tel. y WhatsApp 611 656 145 · Urgencias 24 h