Carpenter Ant

Found globally, typically nesting in moist or decaying wood such as dead logs, tree stumps, and hollow trees, but also in structural wood in homes.

Omnivorous; they eat protein from other insects and sugar from honeydew produced by aphids. They do not eat wood but excavate it for nesting.

Social insects with a caste system including workers and a queen. Primarily nocturnal, they create elaborate galleries in wood and may establish satellite colonies near their main nest.

Risks include structural damage to homes if nests are built in wooden supports. Benefits include recycling nutrients back into the soil by decaying wood and acting as a food source for predators.