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Quick answer: Carpenter ants are large black or dark ants that excavate smooth galleries in wood to nest — but unlike termites, they do not eat wood. They favor moisture-damaged wood, so they signal a moisture problem. Signs include large ants indoors, sawdust-like frass, and a faint rustling in walls. Control means locating and treating the nest (and satellite nests), correcting moisture, and baiting — not just spraying trails.
What do carpenter ants look like?
Carpenter ants are among the largest ants you will see indoors, typically 1/4 to 1/2 inch long, most commonly black (some are reddish or bicolored). Workers have a single node at the waist, a smoothly rounded thorax, and elbowed antennae. Winged reproductives (swarmers) appear in spring. Their large size and clean, rounded profile distinguish them from most nuisance ants.
Signs of carpenter ants
The telltale signs are large ants foraging indoors (often at night), piles of sawdust-like frass containing wood shavings and insect parts pushed from galleries, and sometimes a faint rustling sound in walls where a nest is active. Because they favor damp wood, activity often centers near leaks, windows, roofs, and decks.
Carpenter ants versus termites
This is a critical distinction. Carpenter ants excavate wood to nest but do not eat it, leaving clean galleries and shaving frass. Termites consume wood, leaving soil-packed galleries (subterranean termites) or hard pellets (drywood termites) and building mud tubes. The swarmers also differ: ants have elbowed antennae, a pinched waist, and unequal wings; termites have straight antennae, a broad waist, and four equal wings.
Biology and behavior
Carpenter ants are social insects with a queen, workers, and, seasonally, winged reproductives. They frequently nest in moisture-damaged or decayed wood and may maintain a parent nest plus satellite nests elsewhere in a structure. Activity increases in warm months, with swarmers often appearing in spring.
How to get rid of carpenter ants
Effective control is targeted, not just surface spraying: locate and treat the parent nest and satellite nests (following trails and moisture), correct the moisture that attracted them by fixing leaks and improving drainage, and use baiting matched to their food preference so foragers carry the active ingredient back to the colony. Because they do not eat wood, replacing baiting with random trail spraying usually fails to reach the nest.
When to call a professional
Carpenter ants can damage wood over time and their nests are often hidden in wall voids or damp wood. A professional inspection locates the nest, identifies the moisture source, and applies targeted control — the reliable way to protect your home.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For ants, NYE provides colony-focused ant control matched to the species. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
Carpenter ant FAQ
How do I tell carpenter ants from termites?
Carpenter ant swarmers have elbowed antennae, a pinched waist, and unequal wings, and they push out clean sawdust-like frass with insect parts. Termite swarmers have straight antennae, a broad waist, and equal-length wings, and they eat the wood, leaving soil in galleries or hard pellets.
Do carpenter ants eat wood?
No. Carpenter ants excavate smooth galleries in wood to nest but do not consume it. The wood shavings they remove pile up as frass.
Are carpenter ants a sign of a bigger problem?
Often yes. They prefer moisture-damaged or decayed wood, so their presence can point to a hidden leak or moisture issue that should be corrected.
How do you get rid of carpenter ants?
Locate and treat the parent nest and any satellite nests, correct the moisture that attracted them, and use baiting matched to their preference. Spraying visible trails alone rarely eliminates the colony.
Where do carpenter ants nest?
They often nest in damp or previously wet wood — around leaks, windows, roofs, and decks — and may keep satellite nests elsewhere in the structure. Following trails and moisture leads to the nest.
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