Carpenter Ants

Camponotus pennsylvanicus

The biggest ants in New York, carving tunnels through damp wood in brownstones and older buildings.

When they're worstSpring, when big black ants show up indoors.

Where they thriveDamp or rotting wood: window frames, roof leaks, under sinks, hollow trees and old porches.

Where they thrive

Damp or rotting wood: window frames, roof leaks, under sinks, hollow trees and old porches.

The biggest ants in NYC, up to 1/2 inch. They do not eat wood; they carve galleries and push out sawdust.

Brownstones and wood-frame buildings on tree-lined blocks. Big black ants indoors in spring mean a nest nearby.

How we get rid of them

Track trails to the nest, fix the moisture, trim branches touching the building, non-repellent treatment.

Piles of fine sawdust mixed with insect parts, called frass, are the giveaway.

Late summer's uninvited guests at outdoor dining, trash corrals and anywhere sugar sits out.

An East Asian invader that gathers on sunny walls each fall and slips inside to spend the winter.

The slow, clumsy flies that pile up in sunny windows on warm winter days.

Book a free inspection. We'll find where they're coming from and send you a written plan.