Is your lawn developing general yellowing and bare spots? If the weather has been dry lately, you may be seeing damage done by chinch bugs.
From Cornell Home Gardening: “To scout for chinch bugs, cut both ends out of a coffee can and press it at least 1 inch into the soil. Fill it with water. Chinch bugs and other insects will float to the surface.”
Identifying the bug is fairly easy. There is a prominent black triangle on the back of the bug where white wings overlap. They are small, but visible, at ¼” in length.
Cinch bugs can emit a noticeable odor if your lawn has a huge infestation. Sunny lawns are the ones at risk during dry weather. A shady lawn will rarely ever see this problem. Sprinkling your lawn in hot, dry weather will likely allow you to avoid the problem.
Once you have chinch bugs, watering your lawn deeply and keeping it moist for 3-4 weeks may be all you need to do to end the problem.