What do Carpenter Ants Look Like? Swarmers can be a full inch in length. These are winged carpenter ants that are produced by a mature nest. Carpenter ants excavate tunnels in wet or decaying wood to establish or expand their nests. Moisture conditions and rotten wood differ from a nest in a dry location. Carpenter Ant Infestations. This particular ant species will damage the wood around your house by tunneling and nesting inside the wood. While there are over a thousand species of carpenter ants worldwide, only about 12 to 14 types exist in the US. Carpenter ants like to nest in wall voids, hollow doors, beams, cabinets, and structural lumber. This means that there are workers of varying sizes in … If you are dealing with a carpenter ant infestation, learn how to get rid of carpenter ants naturally. Carpenter ant nests vary greatly in size, location, and structure. What do carpenter ants look like? Carpenter Ants Identification Guide Learn What Carpenter Ants Look Like. What Does a Carpenter Ant Look Like. Carpenter ants are usually between 1/4 and 5/8 of an inch. Many factors determine what a nest will look like. On the other hand, carpenter ant infestations often go unnoticed until it’s too late, becoming a cost-ridden situation that is not easily corrected. Carpenter ants can vary in range from 6 to 20 millimeters, and are generally red or black in color. Moisture conditions and rotten wood differ from a nest in a dry location. Carpenter ants will take advantage of rotten wood, and easy places to start the nest, but as the nest grows, the larvae who What Does Ant Frass Look Like? The damage caused by carpenter ants is often confused with termite damage, as are the insects themselves. Carpenter ants with wings are called carpenter ant swarmers, and they are even larger compared to carpenter ants. Termite swarmers do not have the distinctive waist of an ant. I have these ants that I have been seeing and killing in my house. If size isn't enough to tell these two insects from each other, there are a few more differences that are quite noticeable. Discover why carpenter ants are often found in wood with information from an entomologist in this free video on insects and bugs. Most of the damage these destructive insects do is located inside the wood of your home or the wooden structures on your property, out of sight. The truth is, carpenter ant damage doesn't typically look like anything at all. They are about _____ that long with big thoraxes (butts). This picture is typical of the appearance of a Carpenter Ant. These winged carpenter ant swarmers are tasked to reproduce and start a new nest in another location. Carpenter ant identification is key to preventing damage. By DoMyOwn staff Print Article Overview. Carpenter ant nests vary greatly in size, location, and structure. Ant swarmers look like ants with wings. They are usually no more than ½ an inch. Carpenter ants identification is a key problem as you should be able to distinguish between a carpenter ant and a regular garden ant that’s just wondered in your home. Ant frass is usually the first sign of a problem for property owners. Is That Carpenter Ant Damage? Carpenter ants belong to the genus Camponotus and are "polymorphic." Carpenter ants will be larger than a dime. ! Many factors determine what a nest will look like. I have ant traps out but if they are carpenter ants that stuff won't kill them will it? Carpenter ant infestation photo guide: This article describes carpenter ants and how to inspect a building for carpenter ant damage. They have unequal wing lengths, with the front wings longer than the back wings. They can be either fully black or red/brown in color. We explain and illustrate how to identify carpenter ants - what carpenter ants look like, why and where they attack buildings, and how to cure a carpenter ant infestation using pesticides or other methods.