Carpenter ants are large ants. The workers have only one node (spike on their back near their waist) and when viewed from the side have a rounded thorax (shoulder).

The carpenter ants in North Texas are red and black, but the male swarmers (with or without wings) are solid black. Worker ants are two sizes; minors measuring 1/4 in. and majors measuring 1/2 in.

Carpenter ants do not eat wood, but destroy it by carving out structures to form their nests. You may find "frass", i.e., wood sawdust filled with pieces of ant bodies at the entrance to their nests.

Treatment:
Carpenter ants can not generally be controlled by baits, although there is a new bait that is showing good results in some cases.

Walls or other voids where they are present should be drilled and chemical injected into the void. The attic should be dusted thoroughly, particularly around the eaves of the house. The eaves, soffits and exterior perimeter should be sprayed with a micro-encapsulated chemical that offers a long residual.

Any shrubs or trees that are in contact with the house should be trimmed back and sprayed if ants are present in the vegetation. The treatment should be thorough and follow up inspections made because any surviving ants will attempt to salvage the brood from the treated nest and reestablish in another area around the home.

It is often productive to follow the trail of ants to nearby trees or structures to identify satellite nests which can be treated.