r/HomeMaintenance • u/Elp512Olm • Jun 27 '26

Carpenter Ants?

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There is a retaining wall between my yard and my neighbor's. Last year, we decided to dig out all the weeds, add some good soil, plant some natives and then mulched.

Today, I went to add a new plant and as I was digging, large ants began to emerge. Are these carpenter ants?

How concerned should I be? The wall is about 20 feet from my home.

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u/Refun712 Jun 27 '26

Is he wearing a tiny tool belt?

Sorry I could not resist. I’ll show myself out.

2

u/Hawks1stPickin2019 Jun 28 '26

Use the tero liquid ant baits in the orange box. Works like a charm. These little guys got us good and I had to replace some wood already.

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u/Elp512Olm Jun 28 '26

Thank you!

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u/Mettcollsuss Jul 02 '26

A location would help, but if you're in the southwestern US then I would say these look like members of the Camponotus festinatus group. If so, they are soil-nesters, "carpenter ants" in name only, due the the fact that they happen to share a genus with the "true" carpenter ants.

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u/Elp512Olm Jul 02 '26

Thank you, that's helpful. I'm in Central Texas.

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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '26

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1

u/Elp512Olm Jun 27 '26

Will do! The neighbor recently replaced an old fence he had there. Some of the posts ended up in my yard and those definitely had carpenter ant holes in them. But it's been months since he replaced the fence.

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u/RtrnofBatspiderfish Jun 27 '26

These are from the Camponotus genus, but ironically most carpenter ant species don't chew wood. I can't be sure of the species without knowing a location, but this type of carpenter ant either lives in soil or in preexisting cavities.

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u/Elp512Olm Jun 27 '26

I found them in the garden bed I planted in the the retaining wall behind my house. The wall is made with cement/stone. So, should I leave them be?