Carpenter ants are the ants you usually see inside your house, especially during the spring and summer. They usually live in a nest that they build inside trees, logs, houses, or telephone poles. Carpenter ants do not cause the same damage as termites, but they can cause damage over a long period of time because they use their nests for a long time. The queen starts the colony by raising a few worker ants herself, who then take over gathering food and caring for the younger ants in the colony.

Used with permission from Ward Upham