Carpenter Ants Besides being a visual nuisance, they can cause structural damage to your home if nests are found indoors. They feed on all stages of insects and other terrestrial arthropods, as well as on decaying fruit and sweets from aphids and other insects. Their nesting galleries are characteristically smooth and clean. Outside, carpenter ants help break down decaying organic matter and frequently can be found in rotting trees, stumps and logs. Carpenter ants have a complete life cycle, including egg, larvae, pupa, and adult. It takes from three to six years for a colony to reach maturity, and at that point, the colony probably contains from 2,000 to 3,000 ants. Inspection We first inspect your home and locate nesting sites and areas conducive to insect problems. Then we will let you know how we will control the current carpenter ant problems. This will help you maintain a healthy environment in and around your home. Our inspection focuses on your home and surrounding area to identify the pest species and extent of the infestation. Our efforts will focus on finding the carpenter ant nest, whether indoors or outdoors. In addition, we’ll look for moisture problems, which favor carpenter ants as well as food sources and foraging routes of these pests.