Manny wrote:
These are definitely carpenter ants. They have been identified by the
exterminator and by pictures on the internet. But reading these
replies, I realize that I have bushes that are right up against my
house, as well as a tree that overhangs directly over my chimney and my
attic. Maybe the flying guys are getting sucked into my fireplace or
vents? Unfortunately it's not my tree, but my neighbors, so I'd have
to negotiate cutting off the branches.
Anyway, thanks everyone for the help. Maybe when the exterminator
comes tomorrow, he'll really be able to do something. I still have not
seen any of the regular ants, just the winged ones, and they all seem
half dead.
I swear I'm moving to Siberia. I bet there are no carpenter ants
there.


Check your local code - limbs over your property should be yours to
trim, taking into account you cannot (probably) mutilate the tree. I
forgot to mention attic spaces as a place for carpenter ants to nest.
The much prefer damp/rotted wood, and a leaky roof will attract them.
Find them, and don't worry about extermination until you make sure you
don't have structural wood that needs repair.

If they are carpenter ants, you should be able to locate them when they
are foraging without much difficulty. If you can't locate foraging ants
either in the attic space, inside or around the house, overhanging tree,
then make darn sure you don't have swarming termites. Termites do not
like daylight, so they don't go crawling about. Carpenter ants, even in
the tree, should be easy to see as they go looking for food. If they
are in a tree limb, then they are either coming into the house for food
or going up and down the tree trunk. They are big, and move about in
evening more; not difficult to track. Got a fruit tree where they could
feed without going anywhere else????