Carpenter ant

One of the largest members of the ant family, carpenter ants take their name from their habit of chewing passageways inside wood. As they don’t actually eat the wood so sawdust and other debris often marks the nest entrance.

Identification

The common black carpenter ant is a dull black ant with workers of various sizes up to 6 to 12 mm long.

Common locations

Logs, stumps, tree trunks, firewood, decks and porches, window and door frames, wall voids and foam insulation.

Diet

Carpenter ants forage for human foods, including sweets, meats and grease, as well as honeydew, and live or dead insects.

Additional Info

They live in galleries and make excursions, most often at night, to hunt for food and water. These ants often set up satellite colonies inside homes from parent colonies located outside in a tree or landscape timber.