Carpenter ant

Carpenter ants live in wood.

They chew tunnels for their homes. They do not eat the wood. They leave tiny bits of wood outside.

These ants find food at night. They like to eat dead insects. They also like sweet things.

Some ants farm tiny bugs. The ants protect the bugs. In return, the bugs give the ants sweet food.

These ants can live in forests or houses. They are very busy workers!

Carpenter ants are a large group of ants.

There are over 1,500 different kinds of these ants. They live almost everywhere on Earth. You can find them in forests or even in houses.

Many people think these ants eat wood. This is not true. They cannot digest the wood. Instead, they use their jaws to chew tunnels. These tunnels are called galleries. They use these paths to move around their nests.

They like to live in damp or decaying wood. When they build, they leave bits of wood outside. This looks like sawdust.

Carpenter ants are very busy foragers. Most of them look for food at night. They eat dead insects and sweet liquids. They also farm tiny bugs called aphids. The ants protect the aphids from other insects. In return, the aphids give off a sweet liquid called honeydew. The ants use their antennae to get this treat.

In a colony, there is one main nest. This is the primary nest. It holds the queen and the eggs. The ants also make smaller satellite nests nearby.

Carpenter ants are a huge group of insects. They belong to a group called Camponotus. There are over 1,500 different species of these ants. You can find them almost everywhere on Earth. They live in many places except Antarctica and a few small islands.

These ants are very important for forests. They help break down wood in the wild. However, they can also cause problems for people. They often build nests in wooden buildings. This can cause damage to the structures of houses.

Many people think these ants eat wood. This is actually not true. They cannot digest the wood they work with. Instead, they use their jaws to chew tunnels. These tunnels are called galleries. They use these paths to move through their nests.

When they chew, they leave behind small bits of wood. This material looks like sawdust outside their nest. They prefer to build in wood that is dead or damp. Sometimes, they even hollow out large sections of trees.

Finding food is a big job for these ants. Most species go out to find food at night. They are both predators and scavengers. This means they eat other living things or dead things. They often eat parts of dead insects. They also like sweet liquids like honey or juice.

Some ants even farm tiny bugs called aphids. The ants protect the aphids from other insects. In return, the aphids give off a sugary liquid called honeydew. The ants use their antennae to stroke the aphids and collect this treat.

An ant colony is organized into different nests. There is a main nest called a primary nest. This is where the queen and the eggs live. This nest must stay very moist. The ants also build smaller nests called satellite nests. These smaller nests hold older larvae and pupae. They can also hold winged ants like males or future queens.

Satellite nests can be in drier places. This is because the eggs are safe in the primary nest.

Carpenter ants have many different sizes in their colonies. Small worker ants are only 4 to 7 mm long. Large worker ants can reach 13 mm. The queens are much bigger, growing up to 20 mm. Males are usually between 5 and 13 mm long. When it is warm and humid, winged ants fly to mate. This is called a nuptial flight. After mating, the new queen finds a place for a new nest. She lays eggs and starts a brand new colony.

Carpenter ants belong to the genus Camponotus. This is the most species-rich genus of ants in the world. As of 2025, scientists have described over 1,500 different species. These insects are found nearly everywhere on Earth. They live in almost every environment except for Antarctica and a few small islands.

While many people call them carpenter ants, only a few specific groups actually nest in wood. These ants are vital to forest ecosystems because they help with wood decomposition. However, they can also be a major cause of structural damage to human buildings.

A common misconception is that carpenter ants eat wood. In reality, they are unable to digest cellulose, which is the main part of wood. Instead, they use their mandibles, or jaws, to chew out tunnels called galleries. These galleries serve as passageways for movement within the nest.

As they excavate, they discard material that looks like sawdust outside the nest. They prefer to build these nests in wood that is dead or damp. In some cases, they may even hollow out entire sections of a tree.

Carpenter ant colonies are complex and organized into different types of nests. The primary nest is the central home for the queen, the eggs, and the newly hatched larvae. Because eggs are sensitive to humidity, the primary nest must remain moist. Once a primary nest is established, the colony builds satellite nests.

These satellite nests house older larvae, pupae, and winged individuals like males or future queens. Because these satellite nests do not hold sensitive eggs, they can be located in much drier environments.

Foraging is a highly organized process for these ants. Most species are nocturnal, meaning they search for food at night. They act as both predators and scavengers. They often consume dead insects, extracting body fluids and leaving behind the chitinous shell.

They also eat extrafloral nectar and sugary liquids like honey or syrup. Some species even farm aphids. The ants protect the aphids from predators. In exchange, the ants use their antennae to stroke the aphids and collect a sugary fluid called honeydew.

To find food efficiently, workers use biochemical pheromones. When an ant finds a resource, it leaves a chemical trail. This marks the shortest path from the nest to the food. As more workers follow this trail, the chemical signal becomes stronger. This creates a steady foraging trail. To stay ahead of competitors, carpenter ants often visit food sources systematically. This organized approach allows them to reduce the amount of food left for unorganized intruders.

Ants in this genus vary significantly in size. Small worker ants typically measure between 4 and 7 mm. Larger workers can reach 13 mm in length. Queens are the largest members, growing between 9 and 20 mm. Males, also known as drones, usually measure between 5 and 13 mm.

Reproduction involves a specific event called a nuptial flight. During warm and humid weather, winged males and females emerge from satellite nests to mate in the air. After mating, the males die. The newly fertilized queens drop their wings and search for a place to start a new primary nest.

Social life in the colony is governed by complex genetics and recognition. Carpenter ants use chemical labels to identify nestmates. This recognition is essential for kin altruism, where individuals help others to ensure shared genes are passed on.

Because they are haplodiploid, females are actually more closely related to their sisters than to their own offspring. This unique genetic system influences how the colony functions as a single, social unit.