Carpenter ants are social insects that protect the colony, the queen, and the eggs. Like any other colony, carpenter ants also have only one queen. The carpenter ant queen is the heart of the ant colony and can lay thousands of eggs. But the size of the queen is different from other ant queens, depending on the species. They are noticeably larger, which hints at their dominance.
But, homeowners looking for queen ants to get rid of other ants, wonder, “How big is a carpenter ant queen?” This blog discusses the size of the carpenter ant queen so that you are aware of what you’re looking at.
What is the Size of the Carpenter Ant Queen?
The carpenter ant queen is wingless and about 13-17 mm long. Their color depends on the species, but usually ranges from dark brown, reddish, yellow, or black. In the carpenter ant colony, only the queen is capable of laying eggs.
The queen sheds her wings after mating with the male carpenter ants and looks for a new nesting area (mostly moist regions with a few rotten wood) for her young ones. Once she finds the place, she hides herself inside and waits till her first batch of worker ants (usually 9-16 eggs) hatches and grows into adults.
How to Identify a Carpenter Ant Queen?
Carpenter ant queens do not wear a crown, and do not look like some alien out of a horror movie. They look like regular ants in the colony. The only difference is their size. While regular ants in the colony do not grow more than 13 mm or half an inch, the queen's size usually measures between 13 -17 mm in length.
Other differences one might notice are the thorax (the middle part of the three-segmented body), which appears pitted and uneven compared to other ants. This occurs because the queen once had wings in that region, which fell off, leaving scars. Additionally, one may notice white patches on the abdomen of the queen (the end part of the body). These white patches are the eggs that seem to split her hard black exoskeleton from the inside.
Homeowners may not be able to see the queen ants often because, once ants go into hiding, they don’t come out voluntarily. So, if you are trying to get rid of an ant invasion in your home, you need to call a professional pest control service, as they can help identify the queen ant and kill them.
Do Carpenter Ant Queens Fly?
Carpenter ant queens do not have wings; once they mate with the male ants. Hence, they cannot fly. The newly hatched ants have wings that swarm during the spring or early summer, and mate during their nuptial flight. The queen, after mating, loses its wings and takes shelter in some moist location until the eggs hatch and the ants grow up to be adults, while the male dies after mating.
What Do Carpenter Ants Eat?
Though they are social ants, Carpenter ants prey on other dead and live insects. They also feed on nectars and juices, syrups, honeydew, jelly, sugar, fruits, salts, meat, grease, and fat. They chew on the wood and then discard the shavings, which may look like sawdust. In the wild, these ants eat small insects and other invertebrates.
When searching for food, the worker ant may forage in areas as far as 100 yards away from the nest. To find the way back home, they may leave pheromones. They may also enter homes and buildings in search of food through branches of the trees, cracked roofs, openings, etc. Once they are inside, they have access to several food sources (anything that is open).
As these ants depend on proteins and carbohydrates, they may raid your food cabinets for meats, sugar, syrups, etc. Also, you may see them lingering near the honey and jelly containers.
Conclusion
Carpenter ant queens are mostly bigger than worker ants in the colony. This makes it easy for homeowners to identify them. She is the only one in the colony who is capable of laying eggs. After she mates with the male ant, she loses her wings, and the male ant dies after copulation.
