Carpenter Ants are some of the largest ants you’ll see in North America and just like their size they can pose a big problem for homes and offices.

They don’t have stingers like fire ants but they can inflict a little “nip” on your finger. But that’s not the real problem. Carpenter Ant colonies nest in wood. They don’t eat it like termites. But they will burrow into the wood frame of your home or into roof beams or even into trees in your yard. Obviously, this is a problem you want to take care of immediately to avoid serious damage. Because Carpenter Ants don’t eat wood, they leave their remnants in little piles call “frass”. It looks a bit like sawdust and if you see these piles of “frass” on windowsills, kitchen counters, on the floor, or even in or around your home, it’s time to take action. Of course, you may also see actual ants scurrying about. To identify Carpenter Ants look at their bodies. They are single-thorax ants, which means there is only one segment separating the abdomen and thorax. They are most often black but can be brown, tan or reddish in color.