Featured Image Source -> University Of Florida

After decades of protecting South Florida homes, one thing’s clear: every pest problem is unique. But when it comes to carpenter ants, the queen is always in charge. She's the mastermind, laying eggs, founding nests, and expanding her empire inside your home.

Seen a trail of ants in your kitchen? Mysterious sawdust near a window? Faint rustling in the walls? That "nothing" could be a growing colony of tens of thousands.

In this guide, I’ll show you how to spot her, the risks she brings, and how to eliminate her safely without harming your family or pets.

Let’s get to work.

Learning the Basics

Photo Source -> University of Florida

The Florida carpenter ant queen is hard to miss if you ever see her. At up to 19 mm, she towers over her workers, with a thick, armored-looking thorax that once powered her only flight: the nuptial flight.

After mating, she sheds her wings and settles in to rule. Look closely, and you’ll spot scars where her wings once were: a clear sign she’s already founded a colony.

You may wonder “Do carpenter ant queens always have wings?”

Nope. If she still has them, she hasn’t started a colony yet. Once she does, she snaps them off and hides deep in your woodwork.

Her enlarged abdomen handles egg-laying duties, and unlike the busy workers, she moves slowly and stays hidden. She’s the quiet architect behind the chaos.

Carpenter ant queens come in shades from deep black to reddish-brown, especially the Camponotus floridanus, known for its rich red color.

Even within one colony, colors can vary slightly, but the queen? She’s always the biggest, with a build that screams royalty.

Where Do Florida Carpenter Ant Queen Lives?

You almost never see the queen. While workers show up on your counters or walls, she stays hidden; deep in moist, decaying wood, surrounded by eggs and loyal guards.

I’ve found her colonies in tree stumps, window frames, attic beams, even wall voids. But the plot thickens, kill ants in one spot, and they pop up somewhere else? That’s a satellite colony.

Satellite nests are backups. No queen, just workers, larvae, and pupae still doing their thing and reporting back to the main colony.

A question I get all the time: “Is this a new colony or the same one?”

Almost always the same one. Carpenter ants are pros at spreading out to keep the queen safe. Until she’s gone, they’ll just keep coming back.

What Do Florida Carpenter Ants Eat?

Photo Source -> Oregon State University

Contrary to what most people think, carpenter ants don’t actually eat wood, they just ruin it for fun. (Okay, not for fun, but definitely for nesting.) What they do eat, though, is a buffet of sugary and protein-packed snacks.

In the wild, Florida carpenter ants feast on things like:

🍯 Honeydew from aphids (nature’s free vending machine)
🪲 Dead insects (extra protein, hold the seasoning)
🌿 Plant juices and nectar

Inside your home, their tastes get bougie real fast:

🍬 Sweets like syrup, jelly, honey, and spilled soda
🍗 Proteins from pet food, leftover meat, or anything savory
🍞 Greasy crumbs and pantry snacks you forgot existed

If they’ve found a food source in your house, odds are they’re not just visiting, they’re setting up shop. And if you’re spotting trails of ants headed toward the snacks, there’s likely a nest (or three) nearby.

Are They Helpful or Harmful?

The bigger the colony gets, the more extensive the network of galleries they dig. And since they prefer moist, compromised wood, homes with previous leaks or water damage are especially vulnerable.

What starts as a few ants scouting your kitchen can become a structural issue that costs thousands to fix. That’s why acting early is always the better choice.

If you're unsure whether carpenter ants are working behind your walls, here are a few quick checks:

Tap on wooden surfaces like baseboards, attic beams, or deck posts. If it sounds hollow, that’s a red flag.
Look for frass (fine, sawdust-like shavings) piling up beneath moldings, windows, or exterior siding. This is waste from their excavation, not to be confused with dirt or insect droppings.
Watch for nighttime activity. These ants are mostly nocturnal, so trails after dark can indicate where workers are traveling between satellite and primary nests.

When They Become a Problem

If you want real, lasting results, you have to think like the colony and that means focusing on one target: the queen. Everything else flows from her. And while she’s hard to reach, she’s not untouchable. There are a few things you can try to manage an early-stage colony:

Bait systems, the workers carry the bait back to the colony, unknowingly sharing it with others and eventually, the queen. But keep in mind, it takes patience. You may not see results for days or even weeks.
Boric acid and diatomaceous earth can also help. These natural treatments can be dusted into wall voids or cracks where ants are active. They’re not fast, but if placed strategically and undisturbed, they can help weaken the colony’s support structure over time.

Coexist or Control?

Carpenter ants aren’t just houseguests, they’re little demolition crews in disguise. Sure, one or two might not seem like a big deal. But give them time, and they’ll turn your woodwork into a hollowed-out Airbnb for thousands of roommates you didn’t invite.

So the question is: do you want to coexist... or take control?

While some pests can be tolerated in small numbers, carpenter ants are a different story. Their queen-led colonies can quietly expand behind your walls, under your deck, or up in your attic, causing structural damage before you even know they're there. And the longer you wait, the harder (and more expensive!) it is to evict them.

That’s where we come in. We investigate, locate the queen, and eliminate the problem from the inside out; safely, effectively, and with your peace of mind as our top priority.

Ready to stop cohabiting with carpenter ants?
📞 Call Hoffer Pest Solutions today or schedule your inspection online.