Carpenter ants usually are black and can be as large as 1/2 to 3/4 inches. Normally, carpenter ants burrow into dead portions of standing trees, stumps, logs, or under fallen logs or stones. Unfortunately, when these kinds of sites are not readily available, carpenter ants can invade a home structure and can cause serious damage to the wood portions of the building.

Carpenter Ants or Termites? - Most folks are concerned about telling the difference between termites and carpenter ants. Fortunately, there are important differences in their appearance that will help you tell them apart. Termites have a broad, thick waist (like some of us humans); ants have a narrow, thin one. Termites have a slightly concave antenna; ants’ antennae are bent at right angles, and are referred to as being “elbowed”.