HINCH BUGS destroy fully $46,000,000 worth of 
corn, wheat, oats, and forage sorghums in the 
United States every year. 
Aggressive work against these insects is more 
profitable than defensive work. There are three 
periods when they may be destroyed most effec- 
tively: In November and December, by burning or 
plowing down their hibernating places; in May and 
June, by spraying in wheat fields and trapping in 
barriers, followed by spraying in marginal rows of 
corn if necessary; and in September, by plowing 
corn stubble deeply before the bugs have gone to 
winter cover. 
Chinch bugs spend the winter largely in bluestem 
and other bunch grasses, in pastures, neglected fields, 
roadsides, sunny hill slopes, and similar uncultivated 
places. The grasses should be burned in November 
and December, and unused areas kept as clean as 
possible. The bugs leave their winter quarters in 
early spring, migrating to fields of wheat, oats, etc., 
feeding until the grain is nearly ripe and then attack- 
ing the corn and other row crops. Serious damage 
to row crops can be prevented by spraying the bugs 
themselves with oil-emulsion nicotine sulphate as de- 
scribed in this bulletin. Countless millions more 
may often be destroyed by using these same means in 
the wheat stubble, immediately following the binder. 
Cooperation in conducting chinch-bug control 
measures in neighborhoods or larger blocks is of 
vital importance. 
