Carpenter Ants

Black Carpenter Ant, Camponotus pennsylvanicus

Carpenter ants are found primarily in wooded areas outdoors. The most commonly known, and largest of the fourteen species in Texas, is the black carpenter ants. Winged reproductive carpenter ants are often confused for wing termites, but can be distinguished by vein wings, elbowed antennae, and a narrow waist between the thorax and abdomen. The size of a single species of carpenter ant can vary drastically from a winged queen ant of about 25 mm (1 in) to a worker of about 5 mm (3/16 in). Once the colony is old enough and large enough, winged ants develop in the nest during summer and leave the following spring and summer. A new nest is made as the winged individuals mate, the male dies, and the female finds a suitable nesting site, removes her wings, and lays up to twenty eggs. As they prefer to nest in dead wood, they are often considered to be a home pest.