Carpenter Ant
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
About the carpenter ant
Carpenter ants don't actually eat wood — they excavate smooth galleries inside moist, damaged wood for nesting. That makes them a secondary indicator of a moisture problem somewhere in your home: a leaky roof, a sweating pipe, a damp crawl space. Left alone, an established colony can do significant structural damage to window frames, decks, roofs, and tree stumps. The tell-tale sign is coarse sawdust (frass) piling up below tiny holes.
Quick ID
6–13 mm large black (or red-and-black) ants with smooth, rounded thorax.
In the Triangle
Common in older Durham homes, especially around chimneys, decks, and crawl spaces where moisture issues hide.
Think you have carpenter ants?
Free inspection from a licensed Castle Exterminators technician — Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary & the Triangle. We'll confirm the species and recommend a treatment plan.
Request Free Inspection (919) 606-8686
