Where Do Carpenter Ants Go During The Winter?

When carpenter ants create a nest in a home's wood, they can remain active all winter long. As a general rule, we humans don't like to be cold, and the heat we use to keep us warm radiates out through our walls where those carpenter ants are hiding. And, if it doesn't get cold enough to cause carpenter ants to go into diapause, they're going to keep creating tunnels and galleries throughout the winter months.

If you have carpenter ants inside warm walls, you're likely to know it. Carpenter ants often establish their nests inside a home but feed on food outside of the home. These ants have a wide selection of foods they can live on. But the cold weather will force them to look for inside food sources during the winter, increasing visible sightings. We say can because carpenter ants are mostly nocturnal insects. Activity can increase in your home without you knowing it if these ants are feeding at night. You could go to bed and wake up the next day without ever having seen the line of carpenter ants that feed on the dog food that was left in the dog's bowl—or the cat food that was left in the cat's dish. You could miss the fact that one of your pantry packages is a little lighter than it was the day before. 

For this reason, it is important to call a professional if you see a few large ants crawling around your home. Don't wait till you know for sure that you have a significant infestation of carpenter ants.