Carpenter Ants
Overview
Carpenter Ants are social insects that live in organized colonies with a division of labor among the different castes. They play an important role in our environment by acting as major decomposers of dead and fallen trees. However, because they are very efficient destroyers of wood, Carpenter Ants can become a very serious economic pest when they enter structures such as homes.
Carpenter ants prefer to attack wood that is moist, damp, or weakened by decay. Although dry sound wood is still vulnerable for infestation, it is less likely to be attacked. Indoors, nests are often found in wall voids, sill plates, and underneath siding. These nests are created because of moisture that may have softened the wood. Carpenter Ants are usually a problem from March to August, but appear during warm weather any time during the year.
Biology
Carpenter Ants can grow up to ¼” inch in length, but many are smaller in size. They are usually dark black, brown, or red and have only one node between the middle section (thorax) and the rear section (abdomen). This characteristic separates them from most other ants; however, usually only a trained eye will notice this characteristic.
