Carpenter ants are one of the most misunderstood pests we treat in northeast Georgia. People see large black ants near the house and assume they are harmless, or they panic and think they have termites. The truth sits in between. Carpenter ants will not collapse your home overnight, but a mature colony tunneling through damp framing for a few years can do real structural damage, and their presence almost always points to a moisture problem worth fixing.
Here is how to identify them, understand why they picked your home, and get rid of them for good.
What carpenter ants look like
Carpenter ants are big, usually a quarter inch to half an inch long, and most of the ones in our area are black or a dark reddish black. A few features set them apart from other ants:
- A single rounded hump on the back (thorax) when viewed from the side
- A narrow waist and bent (elbowed) antennae
- Workers of slightly different sizes within the same colony
In spring, you may also see winged carpenter ants (swarmers) near windows. This is the sign people most often confuse with termites. Carpenter ant swarmers have a pinched waist and two pairs of wings of different lengths, while termite swarmers have a straight, thick waist and four wings of equal length. If you are not sure, our flying ants vs. termites guide walks through the differences.
Why carpenter ants invade Georgia homes
Carpenter ants do not eat wood the way termites do. They chew through it to hollow out smooth nesting galleries, then dump the shavings outside the nest. What draws them in is moisture and softened wood. That makes our region a natural fit: heavily wooded lots, humid summers, and a lot of older homes around Clarkesville, Helen, Dahlonega, and the lake communities where decades of small leaks and damp crawl spaces have softened the framing.
Common attractants include:
- Roof and gutter leaks that wet the fascia and attic framing
- Plumbing leaks under sinks, tubs, and dishwashers
- Decks, porches, and window frames exposed to weather
- Firewood, mulch, and tree stumps stacked against the house
- Tree branches touching the roofline, giving ants a bridge inside
Many homes have a parent colony outdoors, in a stump, tree, or woodpile, and a satellite nest inside the wall. That is why you can kill the ants you see and still have a problem.
Signs you have carpenter ants
Watch for these warning signs around the home:
- Large black ants indoors, especially in the kitchen, bathroom, or near windows.
- Frass, the sawdust-like shavings carpenter ants push out of their galleries. You will often find small piles below baseboards, window sills, or door frames.
- A faint rustling sound inside walls or hollow doors when a colony is large and active.
- Ant activity at dusk, since carpenter ants forage most heavily in the evening and overnight.
- Winged swarmers indoors in spring, which means a mature nest is inside the structure.
How to get rid of carpenter ants
Getting rid of carpenter ants for good comes down to three things: finding the nest, treating the colony, and removing the moisture that invited them.
1. Locate the nest
Surface sprays kill the foragers you can see but never touch the colony, which is why store-bought sprays so often fail. The nest is the target. Follow ant trails at dusk and inspect around moisture: under sinks, around tubs, at window and door frames, in the attic near roof leaks, and along decks and crawl spaces. Check outdoor sources too, including stumps, woodpiles, and trees near the house.
2. Treat the colony, not just the workers
Professional control uses non-repellent baits and targeted treatments that workers carry back to the nest, eliminating the queen and the colony at its source. Galleries inside walls or framing can be treated directly with injected products. Because carpenter ants often run parent and satellite nests, treatment usually addresses both the interior nest and the outdoor colony feeding it.
3. Fix the moisture and seal the entry points
This is the step that keeps them from coming back. Repair roof and plumbing leaks, improve drainage and crawl space ventilation, replace water-damaged wood, move firewood and mulch away from the foundation, and trim tree branches off the roofline. Seal gaps around utility lines, windows, and the foundation so new colonies cannot move in.
When to call a professional
If you are seeing large black ants indoors regularly, finding frass, or spotting winged ants inside, the colony is established and DIY sprays will not solve it. A licensed technician can confirm the species, track down the nest (including hidden satellite nests), treat the colony directly, and point out the moisture issues drawing them in.
At Kilz Pest Control, we identify the exact ant species before we treat, because the right approach for carpenter ants is very different from the right approach for fire ants or kitchen-trailing house ants. We serve homeowners across Jefferson, Clarkesville, Dahlonega, Cornelia, and every community in our northeast Georgia service area. Learn more about our ant control service, or call us for a free inspection.
Call (706) 754-6248 or request an inspection online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do carpenter ants actually eat wood?
No. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. They excavate it to build nesting galleries and push the shavings out, which is why you see piles of sawdust-like frass. The damage still adds up over time, so they should not be ignored.
How do I find a carpenter ant nest?
Follow the ants, especially at dusk when they are most active, and look near moisture sources: window frames, door thresholds, roof leaks, decks, and crawl spaces. The nest is often in damp or previously water-damaged wood. A parent nest may even be in a tree or woodpile outside, with a satellite nest in the home.
Will carpenter ants go away on their own?
No. A carpenter ant colony will keep expanding and can establish satellite nests inside your walls. Without treating the nest and fixing the moisture that attracted them, the problem continues and the damage grows.
Are carpenter ants a sign of a bigger problem?
Often, yes. Carpenter ants are drawn to damp, decaying wood, so finding them can point to a hidden moisture issue like a roof leak, plumbing leak, or poor drainage. Solving the ant problem usually means solving a water problem too.
Need help with this in northeast Georgia?
Kilz Pest Control offers free, no-obligation inspections across the region. Call (706) 754-6248 or request an inspection online and we will take a look.