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Camponotus spp. (C. pennsylvanicus, C. modoc)
Complete metamorphosis: egg → larva → pupa → adult. Colony maturation takes 3-6 years.
Proteins (insects, meat) and sugars (honeydew, plant nectar). Do NOT eat wood.
Excavate galleries in damp or decaying wood (do NOT eat wood). **Key Concept:** 90% of indoor infestations are 'satellite colonies' containing workers and older larvae/pupae. The 'parent colony' with the queen and eggs is usually outside in a tree stump or landscape tie up to 90m away.
Complete metamorphosis takes 6-12 weeks depending on temperature.
Sawdust-like debris. Unlike termite droppings (which are uniform pellets), carpenter ant frass looks like pencil shavings and often contains distinct bits of dead insects.
Audible at night as workers excavate; sounds like crinkling cellophane
Swarmers emerging inside indicate established indoor colony
Tap structural wood with screwdriver handle; hollow sound suggests galleries
Sawdust-like frass pushed out of galleries
Found in all provinces. Highest pressure in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec.
Most active May through September. Swarmers emerge May-July.
This pest is commonly found in these home types
Single-story with soil-adjacent wood framing. Moisture accumulation at sill plates creates ideal nesting conditions.
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Accessible wood framing in humid crawlspace environment. Direct path from soil to structural wood.
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Earth-contact walls on one or more sides create moisture pathways and wood-soil proximity.
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More complex roof structure with potential moisture traps. Ice dams can damage wood at eaves.
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Multiple roof junctions and varied foundation levels create moisture vulnerability points.
View house details →Licensed technicians use targeted baits and residual treatments to eliminate parent and satellite colonies. DIY treatments rarely succeed because the queen is typically in the outdoor parent colony.
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