Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) are Florida’s largest common ant — workers range from 6 to 13mm and are typically black or dark brown. Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood. They excavate it, tunneling through soft or moisture-damaged wood to build galleries for their colony. In Davenport homes, they are most commonly found near window frames, door frames, roof soffits, and anywhere wood has been exposed to moisture or is beginning to decay.
Spotting a large black ant inside your home — especially near windows or at night — is a strong indicator of a carpenter ant satellite colony inside the structure. The parent colony is usually outdoors in a dead tree or stump; satellite colonies move indoors, particularly into any wood that has sustained moisture damage. Eliminating carpenter ants requires locating and treating the nest directly, not just the foraging workers. A perimeter treatment combined with targeted interior application addresses both the satellite and outdoor parent colonies.