Here is a suggestion from your Florida Cooperative Extension office: "Southern chinch bug management has relied on the preventive use of insecticides (Table 1). Some low maintenance lawns may be treated infrequently, but those under high maintenance may be treated every 2-3 months. If possible, use spot treatments when localized infestations are first noticed and damage is minimal, rather than broadcast applications."
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Steve, what does chinch bug damage look like on St. Augustine grass. I have been attempting to get my St. Augustine to take over my yard for years but it's been slow moving. Of course I have neighbors who walk their dogs around y courtyard and the animals love to put up the runners and chew on them and, of course I have the doggie urine which kills my grass. I am an animal lover, but I'd love their animals to stay away from MY yard.
More information is in this document:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/lh036
Hope that helps.
Pam, the link I posted above should answer your questions about chinch bug damage. As far as the dogs, there are some suggestions here:
http://www.hometalk.com/86444/i-need-somethi... ...»
You could also search for "dogs on lawn" at the top of the page for more discussions and ideas for repelling the neighbors' dogs.