Carpenter ants are a wood-destroying insect that can cause a significant amount of damage if their presence is not noticed right away. Signs like large black ants crawling in and out of wooden structures, small entry holes, piles of sawdust, or deteriorating wood filled with hollowed-out galleries are all common indicators.
These signs are similar to other wood-destroying insects, but carpenter ants are particularly damaging because their colonies can get so big that they expand and create satellite colonies. When this happens, treating carpenter ants becomes complicated because multiple colonies will need to be addressed.
Key Warning Signs
Visual: Large black ants (up to 1/2 inch), sawdust piles
Physical: Small entry holes, deteriorating wood
Auditory: Faint rustling sounds inside walls
In This Article:
Key Facts
Up to 1/2 inch (largest in N. America)
Sugars and proteins (not wood)
Wet, damaged, or decaying wood
