Signs of Carpenter Ants in Your House

Carpenter ants are honestly quite impressive, if only they weren’t so destructive. Out in the woods, they’re actually helpful little guys, breaking down dead trees and keeping the forest floor tidy. But when they show up in your walls? That’s a hard pass. Carpenter ants might be cool in the wild but in your house they’re bad news. Keep an eye out for these crafty little creatures by knowing some of the signs of carpenter ants in your house before your “everyone is welcome” invitation becomes a little too literal.

Unlike your average sidewalk ant, carpenter ants need wood to build their nests. Unfortunately, that can be the wooden beams or other core areas of your home. But if they’re in the walls, what are you supposed to do if you don’t actually catch them in the act?

Their nest-building capabilities are how they got their name. A lot of people assume they eat wood like termites do, but they’re not snacking on it—instead they’re chewing through it and hollowing out tunnels to expand their colony. Carpenter ants need space—and lots of it—because their colonies are anything but modest. In larger nests, populations can soar to 50,000 ants with 15,000 to 20,000 of them working nonstop.

Like a well-oiled machine, these ants are built to hustle constantly. Stronger than they look, a single carpenter ant can haul 10 to 50 times its own body weight. That’s like a human carrying a car on their back. Their power-to-size ratio is off the charts—100 to 1,000 times stronger than most insects their size!

And it’s not just brawn—they’ve got some powerful tools, too. Their strong, scissor-like jaws easily chew through wood making your porch beams, door frames, and wall studs fair game for their next home. So when people wonder if ants can really cause damage, the answer is: absolutely—and then some.

Their nesting habits are unique in that they build, not just one, but two types of nests. In their colonies, they have both a parent and satellite nest. The queen and her brood (eggs, larvae, and pupae) live in the parent nest, which is the main hub of activity and reproduction. Worker ants, on the other hand, often occupy satellite nests—secondary colonies connected to the parent nest. These satellites are used for foraging, food storage, and expansion, allowing the colony to cover more ground without putting the queen at risk.

Most insects don’t live long—many only survive a few months. But carpenter ants are the exception. A queen carpenter ant can live 15 years or longer which makes her one of the longest-living insects out there.

Once established, the queen herself is wingless. But before she settles down, she participates in a swarming event, which typically happens when a colony reaches maturity at about two years old. From late spring through summer, you might see winged ants emerging. These are the reproductive males and females, known as swarmers, and their goal is simple: mate and start new colonies.

Of the many swarmers, only a lucky few will successfully mate. Males don’t live long after completing their mission. The queen, on the other hand, drops her wings and gets down to business. She’ll store the sperm from this single encounter in a special organ called the spermatheca, which allows her to fertilize millions of eggs over her lifetime—no repeat mating necessary. And just like royalty, she’s picky. Only the fittest male earns the honor of fathering a future empire.

So if you see winged carpenter ants flitting about your bathroom, be aware—these flyers are sure signs of carpenter ants in your house.

Since you know ants don’t eat wood, you probably want to know what they do eat. Carpenter ants are both vultures and predators. They prefer to eat dead insects, but they’re also not against stalking live ones and making them their next meal.

Inside your home, they will dine on table scraps, things from the trash, and any crumbs they can find. That’s why it’s so important to keep things clean and tidy, especially during the times when they’re swarming. Any insect that finds food in abundance will visit often, and possibly set up a new home.

Ants like to do their busy work at night, so you may not identify a problem until it’s become an infestation. Once they find their next victim, they use their mouth to extract fluids from the dead body. Ants also LOVE flowers and fruits—especially honeydew melon.

So, while the fruit bowl sitting on your counter looks pretty, it may be even more attractive to pests. Just like before, they drain the liquids to take back and feed the colony. So if you see an ant around the fruit bowl, stay vigilant. Pay attention to where they’re going—they just might lead you to their home.

Fun Fact: Crazy enough, carpenter ants can make their specific hunting area the size of a football field, which is an astounding 300 feet. An ant walking 300 feet is like you walking 20 miles across a crowded obstacle course—with no shoes and constant danger.

When you spot a winged insect hovering around your windows, it’s natural to panic and assume the worst—termites. But while termites and carpenter ants share a few features, it’s actually pretty easy to tell them apart once you know what to look for.

For starters, carpenter ants are much darker, typically jet-black or reddish-brown, while termites tend to be pale, almost translucent, with a yellowish tint. Coming in at up to ½ inch long, carpenter ants are also noticeably larger than most other ants you’ll see here in New Jersey.

If you’re looking for clues on carpenter ants, one telltale feature of theirs compared to a termite is their three-part body with a narrow waist and an abdomen that often displays golden hairs in faint rings. Their large mandibles (jaws) are hard to miss—perfectly designed for chewing through wood and even taking down other insects when necessary.

While they might seem intimidating, carpenter ants are not aggressive. They don’t sting, and though they can bite if threatened, it’s not common. If you do get nipped it might sting a bit, but they don’t carry disease. So unless you are allergic, there’s no serious risk—just an unpleasant surprise.

Are you worried you’re rolling out the welcome mat for these pests? If you’re leaving food out or have woodpiles near your home, you’re welcoming all sorts of critters. Even a small leak in your basement can create the perfect situation for most insects.

Carpenter ants are pretty predictable, and they have specific areas they love to linger in:

• Eaves
• Gutters
• Patios and decks
• Any wooden structure attached to your house
• Places where moisture collects, like a basement or under sinks, and attics
• Wood piles
• Tree stumps
• Decaying wooded areas

As one of the surest signs of carpenter ants in your house, sawdust is often found in areas where these crafty critters are nesting. Termites can cause sawdust too, but by looking closely at the bug, you can tell the difference.

Another sign? You might also see some wings lying around where they’ve shed them after mating season. Is it possible to have carpenter ants in your home for a long time without knowing it? Yes, it is. But keeping your eyes peeled for all of these clues will most likely alert you to a problem if you have one. You just need to know where—and how—to look.

Fun Fact: If something happens to the queen, the entire nest will die within just a few days. Talk about running the show!

Other Helpful Articles