What Are Chinch Bugs? Chinch bugs are small insects which live in the thatch layer of your grass. They are black with white patches on their wings that can resemble an “X” on their back and they grow to about 1/5” long. Adult chinch bugs will hibernate in the winter. They lay their eggs in leaf sheaths or they push them into soft soil and other protected areas. Females can lay up to 300 eggs under optimal conditions. These eggs hatch in 10 days and the nymphs become adults qu