They will have all of the common life stages, with the exception of eggs and a queen. An older, established colony will produce winged males and females that will fly out to begin new colonies. These are called alates. This is the same term used to describe termites with wings. The alate females can be quite large, measuring up to inch, while the males are generally less than inch.
Flights usually occur in the late spring or early summer.
If you have a problem with carpenter ants coming into your house, they are most likely coming from the outside. The most important thing to remember is that they are primarily attracted to moist wood. Any possible sources of excess moisture found within a structure needs to be fixed. Another way to minimize the problem is to remove any vegetation, such as tree limbs, that are too close to or touching the house. Ants also can enter houses along utility lines.