Carpenter Ants

Carpenter ants are some of the largest ants in North America. They can be up to half an inch long. Unlike termites, they do not eat wood. Instead, they carve tunnels through wood to make their nests.

Wood Carvers

Carpenter ants use their strong jaws to chew through wood. They create smooth tunnels and chambers inside logs and trees. The wood shavings are pushed out of the nest. You can sometimes spot piles of sawdust near their nests.

Colony Life

A carpenter ant colony can have thousands of workers. The queen can live for over 25 years. Worker ants search for food at night, eating insects, honeydew, and sweet foods. Some workers have extra-large heads and guard the nest entrance.

Fun Facts

• A carpenter ant queen can live for more than 25 years.
• Carpenter ants do not eat wood. They just carve it to make their tunnels.
• Some carpenter ant workers have heads so big they use them to block the nest entrance.

Did You Know?

Carpenter ants are very clean insects. They carry all their waste and sawdust out of the nest and dump it far away in special piles!