Florida Carpenter Ant (Camponotus floridanus)

How to Identify Them

Look for a big ant with an orange-red front half and a black rear. Workers vary in size, with larger "majors" having bigger heads. Seen from the side, the thorax has a smooth, evenly curved top. They have a single node between thorax and abdomen.

Common look-alikes:

• Fire ant: much smaller, all reddish, and nests in lawn mounds.
• Other carpenter ant species: several occur in Florida; treatment is similar.

Signs of an Infestation

• Large ants walking indoors at night, especially in kitchens and bathrooms
• Trails along tree limbs, fences, cables and the roofline at dusk
• Winged ants inside, especially near windows
• Coarse sawdust-like debris (called frass) near baseboards or window frames
• Faint rustling inside walls in heavy infestations

Prevention Tips

• Trim branches, palms and vines away from the house.
• Repair roof and plumbing leaks and replace water-damaged wood.
• Keep firewood and lumber off the ground and away from walls.
• Seal gaps around utility lines and windows.
• Remove old stumps near the home.

Satellite Nests and Moisture Problems

A carpenter ant trail in your kitchen at night often leads back to a "satellite" nest rather than the main colony. The parent nest may be in a tree, an old stump or a palm boot outside, while workers and brood are kept in a hollow door frame, a wall void behind a leaky window, or the space under a bathtub. Finding these satellite nests matters because baits and treatments need to reach both. Areas worth checking include window frames with water stains, wood around A/C closets, roof edges with past leaks and fascia boards that feel soft. Fixing the moisture source makes those spots far less attractive.