Ants are undoubtedly among the least exciting aspects of the lovely leafy tree canopies under which neighborhoods like Crescent Boulevard and Park Boulevard flow in Glen Ellyn. Residents throughout the village have seen more ant trails on sidewalks and driveways, and even inside houses, in the warmer months.
And the same mature trees that help make Glen Ellyn one of the prettiest communities in DuPage County also provide prime nesting and food sources for many species of ants. These colonies can multiply swiftly, spreading from your yard to your kitchen in days.
However, if you notice a persistent ant presence in your home, contacting pest control services can address the issue before it becomes more serious.
Do Tree-Lined Streets Really Increase Ant Activity in Glen Ellyn?
Yes, they absolutely do. The mature tree canopy in Glen Ellyn provides habitat for ants in a number of ways:
- Ant-farmed, honeydew-secreting aphids, bred on trees: Leaves fall, wood decays, providing nesting material; root systems create moisture-rich soil that carpenter ants and pavement ants thrive in.
- Statistics tell the story. Glen Ellyn has many mature trees because about half of the land is residential, which gives ants more opportunities to colonize near homes. And since the village works to maintain its Tree City USA designation, those conditions will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
How & Why Does This Happen?
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Aphid-Ant Partnerships in Tree Canopies
Aphids settling in the oak, maple, and elm trees of the Glen Ellyn area develop a mutually beneficial relationship with ants. Aphids feed on the sap of the tree and produce honeydew, a sugary substance. These aphids are protected from predators by ants, which care for them as a food source, thus creating an ant highway from trees to the ground.
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Moisture Retention Under Tree Cover
About 38 inches of rain falls in Glen Ellyn each year, and the tree canopies hold moisture that can penetrate the soil. Ants are attracted to this moisture and their quest for water, especially during hot Illinois summers when ground temperatures may be over 85°F but remain cooler under shade.
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Decaying Wood and Organic Debris
Old trees will lose branches, bark, and leaves in nature. This organic material decomposes very slowly, leaving soft, wet wood that carpenter ants excavate for nesting. Frass, deadwood, prime ant real estate that arises when many Glen Ellyn homes built in the 1920s and 1930s have older trees.
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Proximity to Home Foundations
Many of the charming older homes in Glen Ellyn have trees planted very close to the structures. Roots that grow close to or under foundations can cause voids and cracking. Ants then traverse these trails from outdoor colonies, through basements and crawl spaces, and into your living space.
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Seasonal Activity Spikes
The most obvious ant activity occurs during spring and early summer. Ant colonies proliferate as temperatures warm, and trees leaf out. So thousands of workers hatch from queen ants and forage aggressively, which is why so much of Glen Ellyn sees sudden ant inundations in May and June.
Why You Should Not Take This Thing Lightly
Ant problems rarely resolve themselves. A colony can consist of anywhere from 300,000 to 500,000 ants, and what begins as a few scouts can grow into a full infestation in under two weeks. Carpenter ants tunnel through wood, which can damage the structure of your home.
Even pavement ants, which tend to be pretty harmless, can spread germs and leave our premises unclean when they contaminate our food. Other residents suffer allergic reactions to ant stings. The longer the delay, the more colonies become established, and the more challenging and costly it becomes to eliminate them.
Pointe Pest Control recognizes that local tree cover and soil conditions affect when ants are active throughout the village. Instead of relying solely on surface treatments, they use integrated methods that target both outdoor colonies and indoor entry points.
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