In-Depth Guides for Smarter Pest Control Decisions
November 18, 2025
Those ants in your kitchen could be harmless nuisances or destructive carpenter ants silently damaging your home's structure.
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Size tells the biggest part of the story. Carpenter ants are noticeably larger than the typical ants you see around food sources, usually measuring between half an inch to nearly an inch long. Regular household ants, like the common pavement ant, rarely exceed a quarter inch.
Color gives you another major clue. Most carpenter ants in Michigan are black or dark brown, though some species have reddish tones. They have a sleek, almost polished appearance compared to the duller look of smaller ants.
The body shape difference becomes obvious once you know what to look for. Carpenter ants have a more defined waist with a single segment between their thorax and abdomen, while many common ants have two segments in that area.
During certain times of year, you might see winged ants around your home, and this is where identification becomes critical. Carpenter ant swarmers (the reproductive ants with wings) are significantly larger than other flying ants you might encounter.
Their wings are another dead giveaway. Carpenter ants have four wings, with the front pair noticeably longer than the back pair. The wings also have a slightly yellowish tint and visible veins. When they’re not flying, you’ll often find these discarded wings around windowsills, door frames, or near light sources where the swarmers were attracted.
Timing matters too. Carpenter ant swarms typically happen in late spring through early summer in Michigan, usually on warm days following rain. If you see large, dark winged ants during this period, especially emerging from wooden areas of your home, you’re likely looking at carpenter ants rather than termites or other flying insects.
The swarmers are often the first sign homeowners notice of a carpenter ant problem. By the time you see them, there’s usually an established colony somewhere in your home’s structure. These reproductive ants are leaving to start new colonies, which means the parent colony has been there long enough to mature and produce swarmers.
During certain times of year, you might see winged ants around your home, and this is where identification becomes critical. Carpenter ant swarmers (the reproductive ants with wings) are significantly larger than other flying ants you might encounter.
Their wings are another dead giveaway. Carpenter ants have four wings, with the front pair noticeably longer than the back pair. The wings also have a slightly yellowish tint and visible veins. When they’re not flying, you’ll often find these discarded wings around windowsills, door frames, or near light sources where the swarmers were attracted.
Timing matters too. Carpenter ant swarms typically happen in late spring through early summer in Michigan, usually on warm days following rain. If you see large, dark winged ants during this period, especially emerging from wooden areas of your home, you’re likely looking at carpenter ants rather than termites or other flying insects.
The swarmers are often the first sign homeowners notice of a carpenter ant problem. By the time you see them, there’s usually an established colony somewhere in your home’s structure. These reproductive ants are leaving to start new colonies, which means the parent colony has been there long enough to mature and produce swarmers.
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The evidence carpenter ants leave behind is distinctive and concerning. Unlike termites that eat wood, carpenter ants excavate it, leaving behind small piles of wood shavings that look like coarse sawdust. You’ll typically find this “frass” near baseboards, window sills, or anywhere they’re actively tunneling.
These wood shavings often contain bits of insulation, wallpaper, or other materials they’ve chewed through to create their galleries. The frass from carpenter ants is usually larger and more irregular than termite droppings, and it doesn’t have the pellet-like appearance of termite waste.
Moisture draws carpenter ants like a magnet, which means they typically target areas where wood has been softened by water damage or high humidity. In Swartz Creek homes, this often means areas around leaky pipes, poorly ventilated crawl spaces, or sections where roof leaks have compromised the wood structure.
They prefer softwood over hardwood, so pine framing, window sills, and door frames are common targets. However, don’t assume your home is safe just because it’s primarily hardwood construction. Carpenter ants will work with whatever wood is available, especially if moisture has made it easier to excavate.
Bathroom and kitchen areas are frequent starting points because of the higher moisture levels, but carpenter ants don’t limit themselves to these areas. They’ll follow moisture trails through wall voids, creating extensive tunnel systems that can span multiple rooms. The parent colony might be in your basement or crawl space while satellite colonies develop in upper floors.
Outside connections matter too. Carpenter ants often establish their main colony in dead trees, old stumps, or landscape timbers around your property, then create satellite colonies inside your home. If you have trees with branches touching your roof or siding, these become highways for carpenter ants to access your home’s structure.
The structural damage from carpenter ants develops slowly but can become extensive over time. Unlike the rapid destruction termites can cause, carpenter ant damage typically takes years to reach critical levels. However, this gradual timeline often means the problem goes unnoticed until significant damage has occurred.
A mature carpenter ant colony can house thousands of ants, and their tunneling creates hollow galleries throughout wooden structures. While they rarely cause immediate structural failure, the weakened wood becomes vulnerable to other issues like water damage, and the tunnel systems can compromise the integrity of load-bearing elements over time.
The financial impact varies widely depending on how long the infestation has been active and which parts of your home are affected. Minor damage might require simple wood replacement, while extensive infestations can necessitate major structural repairs. In Michigan’s climate, where freeze-thaw cycles can exacerbate structural weaknesses, even moderate carpenter ant damage can lead to bigger problems down the road.
Early intervention makes a huge difference in limiting damage. Carpenter ants that are caught and eliminated within the first year or two of establishment typically cause minimal structural harm. The key is recognizing the signs before the colony has time to expand and create extensive tunnel systems throughout your home’s framework.
DIY treatments work fine for regular ants trailing after food sources, but carpenter ants require a different approach. The colony structure is complex, often involving multiple satellite colonies connected to a main nest that might be outside your home entirely. Eliminating just the ants you see rarely solves the underlying problem.
Professional pest control services Swartz Creek MI becomes essential when you’re seeing consistent carpenter ant activity, finding wood shavings, or hearing sounds in your walls. The longer you wait, the more extensive the damage becomes and the harder the colony is to eliminate completely.
We’ve been handling carpenter ant problems in Swartz Creek for over 20 years, and our approach goes beyond just treating the visible ants. We identify moisture sources, locate colony sites, and create treatment plans that address both the immediate infestation and the conditions that attracted carpenter ants in the first place.
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