Black Carpenter Ant

Natural Habitat

Typically found in moist, decaying wood such as hollow logs or tree stumps, though they can also establish satellite nests in structural wood inside buildings.

Diet & Feeding

Opportunistic omnivores that feed on honeydew from aphids, insect secretions, plant juices, and scavenged dead insects; inside homes, they seek sweets, meats, and fats.

Behavior Patterns

Eusocial insects with a caste system including major and minor workers. They are primarily nocturnal and do not eat wood, but instead excavate it to create tunnels for their colony.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits include aerating soil and assisting in the decomposition of dead wood. Risks include structural damage to homes if nests are established in building timbers, and they can deliver a painful bite if provoked, often spraying formic acid into the wound.

Identified on: 4/11/2026