Worker carpenter ants are active mostly at night, so you may not see any activity during normal working hours. Even if you do, it does not mean that the nest is nearby. Worker ants can travel up to the length of a football field booking food. Clicking or rustling sounds can sometimes be heard coming from carpenter ant nests. If you identify a potential nest site, try tapping against it with a screwdriver.
Wood damaged by carpenter ants contains galleries that are very clean and smooth.
The first sign of a carpenter ant infestation is usually the sighting of numerous workers throughout the home. However, the presence of workers alone is not conclusive evidence that a colony is established within a structure. Carpenter ant workers tend to roam far and wide looking for food, and some transient workers are sure to enter any home located in a wooded area. Signs of an active infestation include the presence of fibrous sawdust beneath slit-like openings in wood members and faint, rustling noises in walls and woodwork. A positive indication that an active, mature infestation is present is the emergence of large winged ants from walls, ceilings, or crawl spaces.