Carpenter ant

How to tell

• Large, 6 to 12 mm, with a smoothly rounded thorax seen from the side.
• Most activity is after dark, so daytime sightings usually mean a big colony.
• Coarse sawdust-like shavings below a hole, often mixed with insect parts.
• Unlike termites, they do not eat wood — they excavate galleries with clean, smooth walls.

Where you'll find it

• Window and door frames where flashing leaks.
• Wood fascia and soffit under a roof line that stays wet.
• Attic framing near a bathroom vent or an old roof leak.

Why it matters

Carpenter ants follow moisture, so their galleries usually mark a water problem before they become a structural one. Left alone, satellite nests spread through wet framing and trim.

How Strike treats it

The inspection is the important part: we trace the moisture and find the parent nest, often in a tree or wet exterior wood. Treatment combines a non-repellent exterior application with direct void treatment where galleries are confirmed. We will tell you plainly if the fix is a roofing or plumbing repair rather than a product. Follow-up confirms the nest is inactive rather than just quiet.

What you can do before we arrive

• Note where and when you see them, especially after dark.
• Leave any sawdust piles in place for us to look at.
• Clear stored items away from the wall in garages and closets.
• Point out any past leak, even one you already repaired.