Pest Control in Carol Stream, IL

Carol Stream neighborhoods and homes

Subdivisions around the ponds

Most of Carol Stream was built from the 1960s through the 1990s: subdivisions of ranches, split-levels and two-story homes laid out around retention ponds and detention basins, off Gary Avenue, Schmale Road and Lies Road.

Townhome communities

Townhome and condominium communities managed by homeowners associations, with shared walls and common grounds.

Business parks along North Avenue

Offices, warehouses and light industry along North Avenue and Gary Avenue, covered through commercial pest control.

Pests Carol Stream calls are about

Mosquitoes

The ponds and basins are the reason mosquito calls are common in summer, especially after heavy rain, when floodwater mosquitoes hatch along the edges.

Ants

Odorous house ants in kitchens after rain, pavement ants along slabs and driveways and carpenter ants where trees have grown close to the roof.

Wasps

Yellowjackets in the ground and under decks, paper wasps under eaves and in playsets.

Mice in the fall

Through garage sills and utility lines, especially in homes that back onto open land or ponds.

What you are seeing and what it usually means

Through the year in Carol Stream

• Spring Ants after rain and the first mosquito hatches.
• Summer Mosquitoes near the ponds after storms, wasps in lawns and under decks.
• Fall Mice moving into homes that back onto open land.
• Winter Mice in basements and garages.

Ponds and homeowners associations

Many Carol Stream subdivisions share retention ponds managed by a homeowners association. The pond itself is the association's to manage; a yard plan handles the shrubs, gutters and shady spots around each house, where adult mosquitoes rest. When several neighbors on the same pond sign up, the results are better for everyone.

Newer homes and termites

Newer construction sees fewer termites than old Glen Ellyn, because foundations are poured and wood is kept off the soil. That does not make them immune; mulch beds against the foundation, wood decks and firewood can still draw termites, and swarmers in spring are worth a call.

The drive and the visit

Carol Stream is a short drive north from Glen Ellyn by Schmale Road or Main Street. The visit is set on the call for the next open window, and you hear the price before any treatment. Carol Stream addresses use ZIP code 60188.

Before the technician arrives

• Walk the yard for standing water Saucers, buckets, clogged gutters and low spots.
• Note where and when you see the pests It helps the technician find the source.
• Keep children and pets away from wasp nests And do not plug a nest hole.

Mosquito and tick plans are explained on mosquito and tick control, and every service is on pest control in Glen Ellyn.

Decks, playsets and lawns

Carol Stream's newer subdivisions have big backyards with wood decks, playsets and wide lawns. Yellowjackets nest in the ground and in the soil under decks, and paper wasps build in the hollow tubes of playsets and under deck railings. The nests grow through the summer until someone mows over one or a child finds one. Checking playsets and deck railings in early summer, when nests are small, keeps late-summer stings down.

Homes that back onto open land

Homes along ponds, fields and the business parks see mice move in each fall. Inside, traps clear the mice that are already there; outside, gaps at garage door corners, utility lines, dryer vents and the siding are sealed. Where activity is heavy, locked stations along the outside walls catch mice before they reach the house.

Spring ants in newer homes

Odorous house ants are the most common spring call in Carol Stream. When spring rain floods their nests under mulch, landscape stones and patio pavers, they trail into kitchens looking for sweets and water. Bait placed along the trail, plus a treatment where the trail enters the house, usually ends it within a couple of weeks. Pulling mulch back from the foundation keeps them farther from the walls.

Fall invaders on sunny walls

Boxelder bugs, stink bugs and lady beetles gather on sunny siding in September and October and work their way into gaps around windows and soffits. An exterior treatment timed for early fall and sealing the gaps they use keeps most of them outside for the winter. Vacuuming the ones that get in is better than crushing them, which stains and smells.

Termite swarms in Carol Stream

Swarmers in a Carol Stream home are less common than in old Glen Ellyn, but they do happen, usually on a warm day after rain in April or May. Save a few in a sealed bag, because carpenter ants swarm in the same weeks and look similar at a glance. The inspection confirms which insect it is, finds where they are coming in and explains the options before anything is treated.

Carol Stream questions