Carpenter ants are the most common pest ant seen in homes throughout the northern United States. The main colony must have a constant source of moisture to survive, so it is usually located in dead wood outside. Indoors, a main colony will have to be associated with a water leak or an overly wet, poorly ventilated crawl space or attic. They prefer to hollow out their nests in softened wood galleries and would not have the mud-like material found in rough termite galleries.

Because Carpenter Ants forage primarily at night, inspections should be made in the evening or early morning to locate foraging trails and nest sites. Carpenter ant control can be difficult. The surest way to eliminate a carpenter ant infestation is to locate and treat the nest, or nests. Once a nest is located, it can be treated with an insecticide dust labeled for use in wall voids of homes. Pest control operators typically use insecticide dusts containing deltamethrin, or injectable aerosol sprays, when treating suspect wall voids or other nest sites. Carpenter ants have traditionally been difficult to lure with baits, however some new products may be worth trying. .