If you’ve started noticing piles of fine wood shavings near your baseboards or faint crackling behind the walls, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with carpenter ants. These insects are experts at working behind the scenes—and unfortunately, so is the damage they leave behind.
Carpenter ants don’t eat wood like termites, but they chew through it to make their nests. And in a place like Central Ohio, where homes often deal with moisture and aging trim, it doesn’t take much for them to move in. Here’s what to look for before their tunnels become a bigger issue.
Why They’re a Problem for Ohio Homes
Carpenter ants are drawn to soft or damp wood—exactly the kind of conditions you might find around leaky windows, basement framing, or older siding after a long winter. If they find a weak spot, they’ll start tunneling through it, sometimes for months before there’s any obvious sign they’ve been there.
One of the most common mix-ups we see is confusing carpenter ants with termites. While both target wood, their behaviors are very different. Termites eat it; carpenter ants dig through it. The result? Hollowed-out beams and moisture damage that can sneak up fast.
If you suspect a different kind of ant problem, our ant pest control services can help you tell the difference.
5 Signs You Might Have Carpenter Ants Indoors
1. You Spot Winged Ants Inside—Especially in Spring
The moment you see large, winged ants crawling around your windows or walls, it’s time to pay attention. These are carpenter ant swarmers, and their appearance means the colony is mature enough to spread.
A lot of folks assume they’re termites at first glance, but carpenter ants have a few giveaways—elbowed antennae, a narrow waist, and front wings that are longer than the back ones.
2. You Hear Faint Noises Behind the Walls
This one surprises people, but yes—you might actually hear them. If the house is quiet and you’re sitting near a wall or baseboard, you could catch a soft rustling sound. That’s the ants expanding their tunnels, especially at night when they’re most active.
3. You Notice Piles of Fine Shavings
Carpenter ants don’t eat wood—they throw it out. That leftover debris is called frass, and it often looks like fine sawdust or pencil shavings. You might find it near baseboards, under windows, or behind appliances. If you’re seeing frass, they’re already at work inside the structure.
4. You See Ant Trails at Night
Carpenter ants usually do their foraging after dark. You may not see them during the day, but grab a flashlight in the evening and check along baseboards, near sinks, or in the basement. They tend to follow consistent paths once they’ve found a food source.
Nighttime movement can be a red flag. Our residential pest control experts know what to look for and how to stop the infestation fast.
5. Parts of Your Woodwork Feel Hollow
Tap gently on window sills, door trim, or baseboards—especially in areas with past moisture issues. If the wood sounds hollow or flakes easily, there may be tunneling happening inside. Over time, their galleries can compromise the structural integrity of the wood.
Carpenter Ants vs Termites: How to Tell the Difference
It’s not always easy to tell these two apart, especially when swarmers are involved. But here are a few quick differences to help you figure it out:
Feature | Carpenter Ants | Termites |
Antennae | Bent or “elbowed” | Straight |
Body shape | Narrow waist | Straight-sided |
Wings | Front wings longer than rear | All wings equal length |
Frass/Droppings | Wood shavings with insect parts | Small, pellet-shaped droppings |
Nesting Damage | Clean, sanded tunnels in soft wood | Mud-packed, rough tunnels |
Still unsure? It’s worth having a professional take a look. The treatment plan for carpenter ants and termites is completely different.
What to Do If You Notice These Signs
If any of this sounds familiar, you’ll want to act quickly. Carpenter ant colonies can get surprisingly large, and if they’re already nesting inside your home, sprays from the hardware store aren’t going to cut it. Those may kill off the foragers you see—but they won’t touch the queen or the nest hidden inside your walls.
The longer they’re left alone, the more damage they can do—and the more expensive it becomes to fix.
How We Handle Carpenter Ants at Elite Pest & Termite Control
At Elite Pest and Termite Control, we’ve helped dozens of Central Ohio homeowners deal with carpenter ants before things got worse. We start with a full inspection—inside and out—to track down their nest, assess any damage, and figure out what drew them in.
Then we develop a treatment plan designed for your home and the specific layout of the infestation. That includes not just eliminating the ants but also helping you address conditions that attracted them in the first place—like leaky trim, soft siding, or excess moisture.
If you’re a business owner dealing with similar pest issues, check out our commercial pest control services for discreet and effective solutions.
When Are Carpenter Ants Most Active in Ohio?
These ants don’t take the winter off—they just get quieter. Once spring hits and temperatures start to rise, they become far more active. Swarming usually happens between late April and June, and that’s when most people first notice a problem.
So if you’re starting to see any of the signs above during this time of year, it’s a good idea to get ahead of it.
FAQs About Carpenter Ants in the Home
No, they excavate it to build tunnels—but that damage adds up fast if left untreated.
They can if the conditions haven’t been fixed. That’s why we pair treatment with prevention strategies to keep them out long-term.
They’re not harmful to people or pets, but they will bite if handled. The real danger is the structural damage they cause over time.
It can take a couple of years for a colony to mature, but once it does, expansion happens quickly—especially during the warmer months.
Think You Might Have Carpenter Ants?
If you’re seeing the signs, don’t wait. Schedule an inspection with Elite Pest & Termite Control today to speak with a technician. We’ll help you stop the infestation before the damage gets worse.