Carpenter Ant Control in New Braunfels, TX
Finding sawdust piles or large black ants inside? Call 830-777-CAMO (2266) for a carpenter ant inspection.
Carpenter ants are the largest ants most Central Texas homeowners will ever see indoors, and they are the only common ant that damages the structure of a home. They do not eat wood, but they hollow it out to build their nests, and a colony left alone for a few seasons can weaken window frames, eaves, decks, and wall framing.
Camo Pest Control finds the nest, treats the whole colony, and shows you what is drawing them in so they do not come back. No contracts and no long term commitments.
Carpenter Ants vs Termites
Carpenter ants have a pinched waist, elbowed antennae, and leave behind sawdust-like frass. Termites have a thick waist, straight antennae, and leave mud tubes instead of sawdust. Both swarm in spring, which is why they get confused so often.
| Carpenter Ants | Termites | |
|---|---|---|
| Waist | Narrow, pinched waist | Thick, straight waist |
| Antennae | Bent at an elbow | Straight and beaded |
| Wings (swarmers) | Front wings longer than back wings | Four wings of equal length |
| Do they eat wood? | No. They tunnel through it to nest | Yes. Wood is their food |
| What they leave behind | Frass: coarse sawdust mixed with insect parts | Mud tubes on foundations and walls |
| Inside the wood | Smooth, clean tunnels | Rough tunnels packed with soil |
| Color | Black, reddish brown, or red and black | Workers are pale and creamy white |
Not sure what you are looking at? Save a swarmer in a zip bag and we will identify it at your inspection. If it turns out to be termites, see our termite treatment page.
Signs of Carpenter Ants
The most reliable sign of carpenter ants is frass, small piles of coarse sawdust mixed with insect parts below a window, baseboard, or beam. Other signs include:
- Large black or reddish ants indoors, especially at night
- Faint rustling or crackling inside walls, ceilings, or hollow doors
- Winged ants swarming indoors in spring
- Wood that sounds hollow or gives when you press on it
- Ant trails along fences, tree limbs, and utility lines leading to the house
Why Carpenter Ants Get Into Central Texas Homes
Carpenter ants start in damp or damaged wood, then expand into sound wood once they are established. In New Braunfels and the surrounding Hill Country, the most common causes are:
- Moisture damage from roof leaks, plumbing leaks, clogged gutters, and poorly sealed windows
- Tree contact where live oak and cedar limbs touch the roof or siding and give ants a bridge
- Firewood and lumber stacked against the house or brought indoors
- Older wood framing, decks, and fascia that have softened over time
Why Carpenter Ants Are Harder to Treat Than Other Ants
Carpenter ants usually live in more than one nest. A parent colony, often outdoors in a tree, stump, or landscape timber, feeds several satellite nests inside the walls. Spraying the ants you can see, or treating only one nest, leaves the rest of the colony alive, and the problem keeps coming back. Effective treatment means finding and treating the parent colony and the satellites.
How Camo Pest Control Treats Carpenter Ants
- Inspection. We look for frass, trails, moisture damage, and entry points inside and outside the home.
- Nest location. We track the ants back to the parent colony and satellite nests, including nests in trees and landscape wood.
- Colony treatment. We use targeted treatments and baits that the workers carry back so the whole colony is affected, not just the ants on the surface.
- Moisture and prevention recommendations. We point out the leaks, wood contact, and branch bridges that invite carpenter ants back, so you can correct them.
Dealing with other ants too? See our full ant control services and fire ant treatment.
Seeing sawdust or big black ants? Call 830-777-CAMO (2266) to schedule a carpenter ant inspection.
Areas We Serve
Looking for dependable pest control near you? Camo Pest Control serves homes and businesses across New Braunfels and nearby cities with fast response times and customized treatment plans. View the areas we currently serve below, and contact us if you don’t see your location listed.
- New Braunfels
- Canyon Lake
- Garden Ridge
- Gruene
- Buda
- Bulverde
- Cibolo
- Kyle
- La Vernia
- Spring Branch
- McQueeney
- San Antonio
- San Marcos
- Schertz
- Seguin
Carpenter Ant FAQs
Carpenter ants leave behind frass, which looks like coarse sawdust mixed with insect parts. Termites do not produce frass and instead leave mud tubes along foundations and walls. Carpenter ants also have a pinched waist and elbowed antennae, while termites have a thick waist and straight antennae.
No. Carpenter ants chew through wood to build nests and push the shavings out as frass, but they do not eat it. They feed on sugars, honeydew, and other insects.
Carpenter ants damage wood more slowly than termites, but a colony left alone for several years can weaken window frames, eaves, decks, and wall framing. The longer the colony grows, the more satellite nests it builds inside the structure.
Store bought spray kills the ants it touches, but it does not reach the parent colony or satellite nests hidden in walls and trees. Spraying can also split the colony and spread it to new parts of the house.
Most homes see a sharp drop in activity within one to two weeks of treatment as workers carry the product back to the colony. Larger infestations with several satellite nests may need a follow-up visit.
No. Camo Pest Control does not require contracts or long term commitments.
We treat carpenter ants in New Braunfels, Seguin, Canyon Lake, San Marcos, Buda, Schertz, Cibolo, Garden Ridge, Bulverde, Spring Branch, and surrounding Comal, Guadalupe, and Hays County communities.