Order: Hymenoptera

Family: Formicidae

Carpenter Ants are perhaps the largest ants found throughout the United States. The Camponotus pennsylvanicus is the common species in the eastern region of the US. Carpenter Ants get their common name because of their ability to hollow out tunnels in pieces of wood. This tunneling is used to locate a nesting area for their increasing brood.

Description: Carpenter Ants range in size from approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. The queen is generally larger than 1/2 inch. Carpenter Ants and similar species are usually black but can vary in color including red and black, solid red, or dark brown. Carpenter Ants do not sting, however, they can bite. These bites can be painful, especially if they are given the opportunity to inject formic acid into the wound.

Biology: Adult winged females or queens lose their wings soon after mating has occurred. The queen Carpenter Ant continually produces eggs for the rest of her life. Eggs hatch in 24 days, and the larval and pupa stages last 21 days. It takes at least 60 days for Carpenter Ants to develop from egg to adult. The first offspring are a small-sized brood of worker (wingless) ants. Future workers are larger because they receive a higher quality of care. Colonies can reach an approximate size of 3,000 ants before they reach maximum capacity. Winged ants (or swarmers) are not produced until the colony is three to four years old. These swarmers generally appear in the summer months. Once colony maturity has been reached (3 - 6 years), satellite colonies can begin to form in surrounding areas, increasing the total population of ants to 15,000 and beyond within one structure.

Habits: Carpenter Ants establish their first nest in soft or decaying wood due to fungus rot. As the colony grows and requires more space, their nest can expand to sound wood, insulation, and/or wall voids. They do not eat the wood that is excavated for their nest. It is expelled and looks similar to saw dust. This wood (or frass) can also contain dead insects. Carpenter Ants feed on insect honeydew, other insects, or plant and fruit juices. Inside, they will feed on sweets, grease and a variety of human foods.