Carpenter Ants are very common pests in American homes.
They are usually found in damp wood, where they form 'nests' or 'galleries'. The areas within a house that they are most likely to be found include sills, window and doorframes, shower and tub enclosure walls, plumbing walls etc. Unlike termites they keep their nest extremely clean, by pushing out any debris. A telltale sign of a Carpenter Ants' nest is therefore small piles of sawdust containing dead insects, droppings etc. The first step to exterminate these pests is typically to locate the nest.