Carpenter Ants and Black Ants: What’s The Difference?

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Carpenter Ants and Black Ants: What’s The Difference?

Learn From The Pros

Although carpenter ants and black ants share a similar appearance they can be distinguished through their distinct behaviors. Carpenter ants build nests in wood which can damage homes, but black ants live in soil and come into houses looking for food. During mating season carpenter ants develop rounded thoraxes and wings unlike black ants which maintain uneven thoraxes without wings. All ants show a preference for sweet foods but black ants include grease and meat in their diets. Humans face no direct danger from either ant species but carpenter ants can create expensive structural damage when ignored.

Although people often find carpenter ants less frightening than fire ants, spiders or cockroaches they still manage to enter homes without permission. When carpenter ants and black ants settle into your home they function together as a team and they will turn your kitchen into a massive food hall. Ants master heavy weights, as they can carry 50 times their own weight. They march in formation, moving crumbs, cookie bits, and anything remotely edible back to the colony like clockwork.

But let’s be real: ants are also relentless. The “cute” factor vanishes fast when you realize they’re organizing a full-scale occupation in your space. Ants never work alone, so once you spot one, you’ve likely got dozens more lurking around.

Carpenter Ants and Black Ants Demystified

It is easy to mistake carpenter ants and black ants because they look so similar. They both belong to the same ant family, Formicidae, but carry on living different lives. Carpenter ants love to bore into wood and can leave signs of damage to your property or your home. Black ants tend to stick to the dirt where they will build their colonies underneath. As a homeowner, it is important to know these differences so you are aware of which type you are dealing with inside your home.

Appearance

One of the first variations that you will notice between the two ants is their size. Carpenter ants are 2-3 times larger than the black ant variety. The carpenter worker ant, which is the smallest of the pack, is around 12mm once they reach adulthood. However, the largest black ant—the queen, only reaches approximately 10mm.

Although they’re called black ants, the hues of these insects can be anywhere from a reddish-brown color to coal black. When you look at the thorax of the two ants, you will also notice some variations. The middle of a carpenter ant’s body has a more rounded shape compared to the uneven shape of the smaller black ant. Both ants have a narrow waist connecting the thorax to the abdomen. This area is a singular feature for the carpenter ant but for the black ant this section is two separate parts. Carpenter ants also have two sets of wings that come during mating season. However, they shed these wings after they reproduce, and the male perishes.

Black ants don’t have any wings, even during their fertile season. Black ants can sting and that is another important difference to know between them and the carpenter ant.

Habitat

The nesting habits between carpenter ants and black ants are a good identifier. Carpenter ants are seen more in and around the home since their prime spot to nest is in wood. You will often see them around windowsills, in basements, attics, or anywhere they can feed on wood products. Carpenter ants prefer the climate indoors, while black ants prefer to be outside.

The black ant may come into your home, but they’re not there to stay. They come inside only looking for food to take back to their nests. Have you ever noticed ants coming in and out of your home? Seeing a line of marching ants means you’re probably dealing with black ants. To help you identify between carpenter ants and black ants visiting or nesting, contact a pest control professional.

Behaviors

Neither ant is dangerous. They are mostly annoying and not a threat unless you have carpenter ants doing damage to the wood inside your house. The real problem with any ant is that its population can easily reach substantial numbers in a short period of time.

Aphids and scale insects secrete a honeydew substance, and the carpenter ant cannot get enough of this food. They also are carb lovers as they tend to eat anything sweet, such as jelly, syrup, and honey. The black ant also has a craving for sweet things. However, they will also eat grease, fat, and meats.

FUN FACT: While many insects live a matter of months, both ant’s queens can live a decade or more—with the longest on record being over 28 years!

Getting Rid of Carpenter Ants and Black Ants

Before you can attempt to get rid of these pests, you should know what the average colony looks like. It always helps to go after the queen, especially since she can lay massive amounts of eggs each day. Each colony can have one or more queens, which only increases the problem.

The ant troubles you face can be a few stragglers looking for food, or they can be burrowing and chewing through the wood in your home. Most people often confuse the carpenter ant with the termite, but the carpenter’s damage isn’t nearly on the same scale as the destructive termite.

There are tons of sprays and home remedies for getting rid of ants, some of which may or may not work. The only truly effective way to get rid of these insects is to get bait back to their colony. The queen ant is constantly working to lay new eggs so the goal is to kill the queen so she can’t lay anymore. Pest control specialists are trained to know the ins and outs of ant behavior and are your best option to eliminate them.

Carpenter ants and black ants don’t carry diseases but that doesn’t mean you want them crawling on your food and in your kitchen. Ants are an annoyance, and it’s best to call in our Kapture pest professionals to keep them at bay. All the money wasted on home remedies and sprays from your local hardware store can more than pay for the service that gets it done right the first time!