A new queen lays fifteen to twenty eggs, which produce the first brood of offspring. The nest is usually located in a cavity in the soft, moist, decaying wood of a hollow tree, stump, or log. Mating occurs during a brief flight, after which the male dies, and the female (queen) removes her wings and searches for a suitable nesting site. Winged males and females emerge from established colonies on warm days in the spring and early summer. They will be active, however, if a nest is located in a heated portion of a building. The ants hibernate (are inactive) during the winter. Approximately 200 to 400 winged ants develop in the summer, remain in the nest through the winter, and leave the nest the following spring or early summer. Usually, a colony does not produce winged males and queens (the reproductives) until it is several years old and has about 2,000 to 3,000 workers. The eggs are white and the pupae cocoons are tan. It also has white, legless larvae and, at certain times, winged females and males. The front and hind wings of a reproductive termite are about equal in length.Ī carpenter ant colony has one wingless queen and many sterile, wingless, female workers. The antennae are straight with beadlike segments.The body is not constricted between the thorax and the abdomen.Reproductive forms are brown or black, have wings, and measure about 3/8 to 1/2 inch in length.They live hidden from view, unless their tunnels are exposed. 3) are creamy-white, wingless, and 1/8 to 1/4 inch in length. The front wing of a reproductive ant is longer than the hind wing.The body is constricted between the thorax and the abdomen.2) resemble workers in color and shape but are up to 3/4 inch long. They may be seen crawling around inside a residence. 1) are wingless, dark shiny brown to black in color, and 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length. It is important to distinguish between the two because each requires different methods of control. Because of this, homeowners may mistake one for the other. Eastern subterranean termite workers (J.Kalisch, U of Nebraska)Ĭarpenter ants and termites are social insects that live in colonies and excavate wood. Black carpenter ant queen (J.Kalisch, U of Nebraska)įigure 3. Black carpenter ant worker (Steve Jacobs, Penn State)įigure 2. Homes built in wooded areas are especially subject to infestation. Rarely will the expansion of a nest into a building's wooden timbers cause structural damage. These ants seldom tunnel into dry, sound wood, but they may excavate moist, rotting wood and other soft materials (such as foamed plastic insulation board) to make satellite nests. However, the large, dark-colored workers often invade homes in search of food. They normally nest in logs, stumps, and hollow trees. In their natural habitat, carpenter ants aid in the decomposition of dead, decaying trees. The black carpenter ant is a common invader of homes in the northeastern United States.
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