Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.), large, primarily black (but sometimes red) ants, can be up to half an inch long, with queens growing up to one inch in length. You might come across these ants in damp or moist places, or you may find them in your home in some cases. 

If you see a “giant” ant in your home, it can be a little bit of a shock. Fortunately, it’s usually fairly simple to identify the species and make sure what you’re seeing isn’t a termite or other kind of insect. 

Use the images in this guide to help identify whether you’re facing a carpenter ant infestation. And remember: you’re always welcome to contact us at Joshua’s Pest Control even if you’re not sure what pest has decided to invade your property. We’re happy to inspect and identify the pests for you (and then help get rid of them!).

WHAT IS A CARPENTER ANT?

A carpenter ant is one of the largest ants found in the United States. They generally live outdoors, but they can come indoors and create nests inside walls or in moist, wooden locations. Carpenter ants get their name from infesting wood—they create tunnels in wood to lay their eggs and build up their colonies. Interestingly, though, they don’t actually eat the wood. Instead, you’re more likely to find sawdust-like debris around the entry point as they dig deeper into the tunnels they create for their colonies. 

Carpenter ants look different depending on the stage of their life cycle. For example, an adult ant can be up to an inch long, depending on the species, while carpenter ant eggs look like white pieces of rice. 

WHAT DO ADULT CARPENTER ANTS LOOK LIKE? 

Adult carpenter ants are usually simple to identify because of their size, but depending on the species, there are some differences to take into consideration.

Most species of black carpenter ants are generally uniform in color and range in size from ¼ to ⅝ inches. Queens can get up to an inch long. There are some species, such as Camponotus nearcticus and C. subbarbatus, which are smaller and get no bigger than 5/16 inches long. 

Like other ant types, carpenter ants have bent antennae and six legs. Some have a variance between matte and shiny black on their bodies, giving them a somewhat striped appearance, though they are still all black. 

There will be some differences between species, but most are black. These carpenter ants all occur in the northeastern U.S.:

• Camponotus pennsylvanicus (also knows as the black carpenter ant)
• Camponotus castaneus
• Camponotus subbarbatus
• Camponotus herculeanus
• Camponotus chromaiodes (also known as the red carpenter ant)
• Camponotus nearcticus
• Camponotus novaeboracensis
• Camponotus americanus

Figuring out exactly what kind of ant you have in your home can make getting rid of them easier, which is why it’s helpful to see if you have carpenter ants or another common indoor species, such as the odorous house ant. Our team can come out to take care of the issue, no matter which species you have at home.

CARPENTER ANTS VS. TERMITES

Adult carpenter ants can have wings. When they are, they’re called swarmers. Their four wings will be proportionate to their bodies, and the two front wings are longer than the two in the rear. 

Carpenter ant swarmers and queens are the only carpenter ants with wings. Reproductive males die after mating, but females will shed their wings and move on to find a new site for nesting. 

Adult carpenter ant swarmers are sometimes confused with termites, but there are differences between the two. For example, winged carpenter ants (and their wingless counterparts in the colonies) have tight, narrow waists. They also have large abdomens and almost heart-shaped heads. Termites, on the other hand, have broad waists, wings of equal length that extend far beyond the body, and straight antennae. 

WHAT DOES A CARPENTER ANT EGG LOOK LIKE? 

Carpenter ant eggs are typically laid in the spring and late summer. There are usually 15–20 eggs per batch at the nesting site. The eggs are small and appear white or off-white in most cases. Some may look a little bit yellow or tan. 

Carpenter ant eggs are sometimes confused with pupating pupae since the eggs and cocoons (respectively) are often the same color.

WHAT DOES A CARPENTER ANT LARVA LOOK LIKE? 

Carpenter ant larvae are perhaps best described as grub-like. They are small and white, and they have no legs. Larvae are small—sometimes looking like rice—and have bodies that may appear to have ridges. 

If you come across a carpenter ant colony or one of their satellite colonies, there could be anywhere from a few to many squirmy larvae inside. The larvae are usually found in groups.

WHAT DOES A CARPENTER ANT PUPA LOOK LIKE? 

Carpenter ant pupae are enclosed in cocoons that they weave for themselves as larvae. These cocoons are sometimes misidentified as eggs, but pupae are actually in a completely different stage in the carpenter ant life cycle. 

It takes between three to four weeks for the carpenter ant pupae to hatch from their cocoons. Interestingly, it’s often the adult ants that open the cocoons to release their new family members. 

WHAT DOES A CARPENTER ANT QUEEN LOOK LIKE? 

Carpenter ant queens are much larger than their other ant counterparts, but many of their features are the same. Carpenter ant queens:

• Are black or (sometimes) red.
• Have a rounded thorax and large mandibles.
• Have one pointed node between the abdomen and thorax.
• Have a pointed abdomen.
• Have elbowed antennae.
• Have circular rings of hair around the abdomen.

Carpenter ant queens tend to grow much larger than the rest of the ants in the colony, getting up to an inch long, depending on the species. The queen may have wings while mating and then drop them afterward. When this happens, the carpenter ant queen will have wing scars where the wings were. 

CALL JOSHUA’S PEST CONTROL FOR HELP WITH CARPENTER ANTS

Whether you’re sure you’re dealing with carpenter ants or you think there’s another species to contend with, we’re here to help. At Joshua’s Pest Control, our field experts are prepared to help identify any ant that’s infiltrated your property. 

Contact us today for a free quote! 

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SOURCES

• https://njaes.rutgers.edu/FS1101/ 
• https://extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/carpenter-antshttps://youtu.be/XXs9BLdgoBY 
• https://youtu.be/dDpW9rvfbyw?si=BffVUFZf0kVldC1W
• https://youtu.be/XXs9BLdgoBY

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AUTHOR BIO

Courtney Enzor has worked in the pest control industry for about a decade. From helping you build a fly trap to giving you the best tips for identifying various bugs, she loves answering all your pest-related questions and sharing her pest-related expertise through writing. At the end of the day, she hopes her content will help people avoid mishaps and keep families happy and healthy!