Carpenter Ant Identification

Identifying Carpenter Ants

[ Carpenter Ant Identification | Inspecting For Carpenter Ants | Treating For Carpenter Ants | Preventing Carpenter Ants ]

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What Do Carpenter Ants Look Like?

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Some people might have some trouble distinguishing a carpenter ant from a drywood termite. This can sometimes be difficult because termites and carpenter ants do look very similar, especially during the spring and fall when the winged ones start to fly around.

Carpenter Ants	Drywood Termites
Carpenter Ants will have noticeable waists Carpenter Ants have bent antennae Carpenter Ants legs are longer If there are wings, the front wings will be longer than the back wings on ants Carpenter ants will make small holes in wood to kick out debris that contains coarse sawdust and insect parts	Drywood Termites have thick waists Drywood Termites have straight antennae Drywood Termites have short legs If there are wings, both pairs will be the same length Drywood termites make small holes to kick out debris that looks like fine sawdust but does have have insect parts

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Carpenter Ants Size, Shape, and Color

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• Carpenter Ants are 1/4 inches to 1/2 inches long.
• Carpenter ants have visible waists and have bent antennae
• Carpenter Ants have 6 legs
• Carpenter Ants do not have stingers
• Carpenter Ants will vary in color from dark red to black

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Carpenter Ants Nest Damages

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Carpenter Ants can be found in damaged or dead trees, tree stumps, mulch, and wood piles. Indoors, Carpenter Ants are usually found where wood has has excess moisture from a pipe or other leak. Carpenter Ants will leave behind holes in wood and kick out debris that includes sawdust and insect parts.

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Carpenter Ants Geographical Range

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There are several species of Carpenter Ants and they can be found throughout the United States.