Winged Carpenter Ant

Scientific Name: Camponotus spp. (a specific species would require closer examination, but it belongs to this genus)

Order & Family: Hymenoptera, Formicidae

Size: Workers can range from 6 to 13 mm (0.25 to 0.5 inches) in length. Winged reproductives (like the one pictured, likely a male or queen before she sheds her wings) can be larger, up to 18-20 mm (0.75 inches).

Winged Carpenter Ant

Natural Habitat

Carpenter ants prefer to nest in wood, particularly wood that is soft, decaying, or damp, but they can also excavate sound wood. They are commonly found in forests, trees, stumps, and inside wooden structures in homes (e.g., walls, floors, attics), especially near sources of moisture.

Diet & Feeding

Carpenter ants, in general, are omnivores. Their diet typically includes honeydew from aphids, other small insects, plant juices, and various human foods, especially sweets and proteins.

Behavior Patterns

Winged carpenter ants are typically male reproductives or newly emerged queens. They participate in nuptial flights, where they mate in the air. After mating, males die, and fertilized queens seek a suitable location to establish a new colony, often breaking off their wings.

Risks & Benefits

Risks: Carpenter ants can cause structural damage to wooden homes and buildings by excavating tunnels for nesting, though they do not eat the wood. They do not sting, but can bite, which can be mildly painful. Benefits: In natural environments, they play a role in decomposition by breaking down dead wood and can help control populations of other insects.

Identified on: 8/19/2025