Black Carpenter Ant
Camponotus pennsylvanicus
The largest and most common structural pest ant in the Northeast.
About this species
Carpenter ants are massive. Some workers reach up to 5/8 of an inch long. Unlike termites, which eat wood, carpenter ants excavate it. They chew through moisture-softened lumber to carve out smooth nesting galleries, slowly damaging your home’s structural framing.
Eliminating the ants without fixing the underlying moisture problem (like a leaky roof beam or a slow plumbing drip) guarantees they will return.
Signs of infestation
Look for the physical signs: piles of fine, sawdust-like frass collecting near your baseboards, or a rustling sound inside the walls at night.
Identification
Size:
1/4 in–9/16 in (6–14 mm)
Color:
Uniformly dull black
Image by
a6475, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image by
Melissa McMasters from Memphis, TN, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Key ID Features:
- Single petiole node
- Sparse, pale erect hairs on gaster
- Evenly rounded thoracic profile when viewed from the side
- Large mandibles
- No functional sting
Photos
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