Carpenter Ant

Natural Habitat

Woodlands, gardens, and residential areas; often nests in decaying wood, logs, or structural wood in buildings.

Diet & Feeding

Opportunistic omnivores; they eat honeydew produced by aphids, plant juices, and other insects. They do not eat wood, but excavate it to create nests.

Behavior Patterns

Highly social insects with a caste system (queen, workers, soldiers, and winged reproductives). Most active at night. They exhibit trail-following behavior and go through complete metamorphosis.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits include aeration of soil and decomposition of dead wood. Risks include potential structural damage to homes if nests are established in building timbers; they can also deliver a painful bite if handled, though they have no stinger.

Identified on: 4/24/2026