Carpenter ants do not eat wood as termites do. They chip it out in order to make a nest inside of walls, beams, sills, and joists in a house. You may, therefore, see sawdust near places it should not be. You may also come across carpenter ant frass, a mixture of wood pieces, ant body parts, and excrement. In addition, you may find holes, hear rustling sounds coming from the walls, or notice swarming. These signs may point to a carpenter ant infestation.
While you may see an indication of a carpenter ant infestation, it is easy to confuse carpenter ant damage with termite destruction. If you spot damage, you should immediately consult a professional. Only a trained expert has the know-how to correctly distinguish between the two.
