Both carpenter and black ants are insects that cause damage to any structure around hence they are not tolerated by human beings.
Carpenter ants have a distinctive heart-shaped head with large jaws and elbowed antennae, worker carpenter ants have rounded thorax and one segmented petiole while black ants have unevenly shaped thorax with either one or two-segmented petioles.
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Comparison Table (Carpenter Ants Vs Black Ants)
| Basic Terms | Carpenter ants | Black ants |
| Habitat | They make their nests in or near moist, decaying or hollow wood. | They make their nests in the soil. That is in places such as lawns, under the paving slabs and at the base of walls. |
| Damage | They make tunnels in wood hence destroying the wood. | They interfere with the stability of the structures in the home as they will dig under them to construct their nests. |
| Treatment | They are controlled through the application of insecticides and sprays in various forms. | Use a 3% solution of dish soap with water as a spray for an infested area. |
| Appearance | They have a distinctive heart-shaped head with large jaws and elbowed antennae. | They have unevenly shaped thorax with either one or two-segmented petioles. |
| Identification | They have a waist with one node and a thorax that is evenly rounded. They also have hairs around their anus. | They have black bodies with a red-brown thorax. |
| Signs | Piles of wood shavings. | Piles of soil in the pavements. |
| What they eat | They feed on sources of proteins and sugar, fruits, plants, and dead insects. | They feed on corn meals, oily foods, honeydew, insects, and vegetables. |
| size | Queens is the largest and they can grow up to 20mm long. | They range up to half an inch but the queens go beyond this. |
| color | They are dark in color but sometimes with a hint of maroon or reddish-brown. | They are black in color. |
What Is Carpenter Ant?
They are large ants found in many forested parts of the world. They build their nests inside the wood by using their mandibles to chew out the dead parts of the wood to create a tunnel. They do not eat the part of the wood but they discard it as sawdust.
They are identified easily as they have a waist with one node and thorax that is evenly rounded. They also have hairs around their anus.
The ants feed on the sources of proteins, sugar. The outdoor ants feed on both living and dead insects. They feed on a sweet liquid produced by aphids and scale insects called honeydews, they also feed on meat and pet food.
They destroy the wood by making tunnels in it and they are controlled by applying insecticides to the areas they have infested.
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What Is Black Ant?
They are kind of ants that are mostly seen along sidewalks. They make their nests in the soil and under yard debris. They may get inside the house as a result of improper food storage.
They are black in color and some may have a reddish-brown thorax. They are not harmful as they do not have a stinger but they may invade the kitchen and spoil the food that is not well kept.
As they are mostly found where children play, then the best treatment for them is to use dish soap with water to spray the infested area.
Main Differences between Carpenter Ant and Black Ant
- Carpenter ants have a waist with one node and thorax that is evenly rounded while black ants have unevenly shaped thorax with one or two-segmented petioles.
- Carpenter ants are dark in color but sometimes with a hint of maroon or reddish-brown while black ants have black bodies.
- The sign of a carpenter ants in an area is a pile of wood shavings while the sign of black ants in an area is a pile of soil.
- Carpenter ants are harmful as they can bite while black ants do not bite.
- Carpenter ants make their nests in moist, decaying wood while the black ants make their nests in soil.
Similarities between Carpenter Ant and Black Ant
- They both live in colonies.
- They both cause damage by weakening the structure.
- They both live in nests.
- They are all nuisance pests to human beings.
- They all have segmented bodies.
FAQs
How Do You Tell Carpenter Ant From An Ant?
Carpenter ants have a wasp-like waist, have two sets of wings but the front wings are longer than the hind wings, they are dark brown or black in color and also have bent or jointed antennas, unlike other ants.
Are Carpenter Ants Bad?
Yes, they are the most problematic among all the ants. They may cause serious damage to property at home and other buildings. They excavate wood in order for them to build their nests.
How Do I Get Rid Of Carpenter Ants?
There are various ways of getting rid of carpenter ants. You can use bait to find the nest of the ant to take back to the nest, eliminate the scent trails, and destroy the nests.
Why Do I Have Black Ants In My House?
Most of the black ants are found outside but they may come inside as a result of improper food storage in the kitchen.
How Do I Get Rid Of Black Ants?
You can get rid of black ants by using dish soap and water spraying in the infested areas.
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Summary
Carpenter ants and black ants are all large ants and they both weaken the structures as they make their nests there. This makes them be destructive and a nuisance to human beings as they damage the structures by making their nests. They are controlled by spraying them and destroying their nests to avoid them living in the structures.
More Sources and References
- Carpenter Ants. Entomology
- Black Ants. Terminix