Carpenter ants damage wood by excavating and creating galleries and tunnels.
these areas are clean, i.e. they do not contain sawdust or frass, and are smooth, with a
sandpaper-like appearance
the damage to wood structures is variable
In most cases carpenter ant damage is slight because they nest in wood previously and primarily
damaged by moisture.
However, if timbers are weakened, carpenter ant damage can be severe. As a colony grows and
moist wood is unavailable, the ants may expand the nest into dry, sound wood. If sound wood is
involved, structural damage can occur more quickly, possibly as soon as several months.