Contrary to popular belief, carpenter ants don’t actually eat wood but rather burrow through it to create tunnels and galleries to live in. The ants have strong jaws that they use to excavate the wood and prefer rotting and moist wood. It is also not uncommon for carpenter ants to colonize plastic insulation, wall voids and doors.
Carpenter ants primarily feed on protein. Outdoors they feed on both live and dead insects. The ants also love sugars and will hunt down smaller insects that produce sugary liquids such as scale insects and aphids. This sugary excretion is known as honeydew and is often deposited on plant stems and leaves.
Indoors, the carpenter ants will get their protein from pet food and meats and are spoiled for choice for sugar sources including jelly, honey, syrup, granulated sugar and others. The average home provides a rich diet for a carpenter ant colony.
Check our carpenter ant infographic for more information on how to identify carpenter ants, their diet, common areas of infestation, why they are dangerous, how to get rid of them and essential tidbits you might need to take care of or prevent an infestation.
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Source: theexterminators