The beautiful landscape of Glen Ellyn comes with a price that some homeowners learn about the hard way. The distinctive wavy topography of the village, created by ancient glaciers, carries water to lower-lying properties and to the edges of foundations. These relief characteristics lead to constant moisture retention, making basements and crawl spaces ideal breeding grounds for pests.
Due to these water drainage patterns, properties along streets such as Hillside Avenue and those near Lake Ellyn are most affected, resulting in a higher volume of pests during the spring thaw and after heavy rainfall. If you see moisture near your foundation or insects near your basement windows, consulting Glen Ellyn pest control is the best way to treat both symptoms and address moisture problems.
The Impact of Glen Ellyn’s Topography on Home Foundations
Glen Ellyn’s elevation ranges from 700 to 800 feet above sea level, with varying grades from neighborhood to neighborhood. The Public Works Department for the Village of Glen Ellyn estimates that about 35 percent of residences are at the base of slopes with a grade greater than 3%. Such slopes channel water to the foundation walls, where it sits in the soil, and hydrostatic pressure builds up against the basement walls.
According to DuPage County Stormwater Management, Glen Ellyn receives an average of 38 inches of rainfall per year, and that water, with it, follows the natural route of least resistance. On the downslope side of properties, foundation walls absorb this moisture, creating a wet environment that promotes dampness in basements and attracts moisture-seeking pests year-round.
Identifying Pests Drawn to Foundation Moisture Pockets
The topography of Glen Ellyn creates the perfect conditions of moisture around the base of home foundations for several particular pest species:
- Carpenter ants – Over time, these bulky black ants bore their way through wet wood in foundation sills and floor joists.
- Springtails – Small hopping bugs that swarm around foundation cracks and basement floors with persistently high humidity
- Millipedes – These little multi-legged critters also need to chill indoors during wet times and often find their way to your basement after a storm
- Sowbugs and pillbugs – Moisture-dependent pests that may unite around poorly drained foundation walls
- Silverfish – Quickly moving insects that consume paper and textiles in wet cellar regions and crawl spaces
Addressing Drainage Flaws Before Applying Pest Control
Correcting water management issues near your home will make pest treatments more effective and longer-lasting. Extend downspouts at least 6 feet from your home, directing water to the street or other natural drainage areas. Against the grain, many Glen Ellyn homes built in the 1960s and 1970s have settled over time, resulting in negative grading, a condition in which soil slopes toward a foundation instead of away from it.
Mounding soil to a 6-inch slope over 10 feet from your foundation perimeter allows water to drain away naturally. For lower-lying properties on sloped areas, French drains and curtain drains can be effective solutions for capturing groundwater before it reaches foundation walls. This means that even during Glen Ellyn’s rainiest months, basements will remain dry with interior solutions, such as sump pumps, that pump water that rises through foundation floors.
Targeted Pest Control for Glen Ellyn’s Moisture Pests
Moisture pest management is more successful when you understand how Glen Ellyn’s moisture pest behavior changes with the seasons. Pointe Pest Control handles pests by first identifying moisture and entry points around foundations before applying treatments. They specialize in barrier treatments along foundation perimeters, especially where water tends to pool, such as at up-sloping ground leading to houses.
Spring snowmelt and summer storms affect pest pressure differently in Glen Ellyn than in flat regions, and their technicians adjust treatment timing accordingly. Along with this advice for removing moisture and preventing its entry, it also provides Glen Ellyn homeowners with guidance on controlling pests to stop the cycle of ever-present infestations created by the area’s rolling topography.
