# What kind of ant is this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 1, 2016, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434 "2016-08-01T03:26:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/1 "2016-08-01T03:26:44Z")
We seem to have an infestation of them. They don’t seem to be swarming over any food (I can’t find a food source that they are eating), but rather they appear from behind and above our cabinets - like they are living in the attic or in the wall. Are they Carpenter ants? Bonus points for how to get rid of them. Ant is about 1/4” long. Scottsdale, AZ area. Photo here: [https://cl.ly/0t0x3z0Q3t2k](https://cl.ly/0t0x3z0Q3t2k) ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/2 "2016-08-01T23:25:06Z")
Looks like it is this one. [http://www.tightloop.com/ants/showspecies.php?species\_id=37](http://www.tightloop.com/ants/showspecies.php?species_id=37) ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/3 "2016-08-01T23:37:10Z")
You need to an exterminator fast ! They will eat your house up. I guess if they’re really bad a tent may have to be put over your whole house . ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2016, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/4 "2016-08-01T23:39:57Z")
> [@GusNSpot](#): > > Looks like it is this one. > > [http://www.tightloop.com/ants/showspecies.php?species\_id=37](http://www.tightloop.com/ants/showspecies.php?species_id=37) Good call, I agree. And - Woo Hoo!. Not a carpenter ant. Now, all I have to do is to convince them to leave. My wife is a Buddhist, and doesn’t want me to harm them. I’m going to try Vinegar and Clove Oil as a repellent. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/5 "2016-08-02T02:33:15Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Good call, I agree. > And - Woo Hoo!. Not a carpenter ant. It is a Carpenter Ant (genus _Camponotus_). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/6 "2016-08-02T05:22:42Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > It is a Carpenter Ant (genus _Camponotus_). What was the tell (other than the little hammer it was holding in it’s front leg 🙂 )? According to wikipedia there are \> 1,000 species. That’s a lot of species!! ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/7 "2016-08-02T14:46:47Z")
If you know where they are coming in, apply vinegar to those surfaces. It interferes with their chemical scent trail marking system. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/8 "2016-08-02T16:38:19Z")
Also, while you’ve got 'em please send some to the [School of Ants](http://www.schoolofants.org) project to increase entomological knowledge. (Will require killing some sample ants humanely by freezing, so don’t tell your wife.) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2016, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-ant-is-this/761434/9 "2016-08-02T16:41:36Z")
I’m trying a vinegar/Clove Oil mixture. Seems to be helping. Of course a few ants got injured along the way…oops… BTW, Colibri. Yes, I realized that this ant is in the Carpenter Ant Genus, but I read on the web that this particular species doesn’t tunnel - it uses existing spaces in wood or walls. Hopefully, this is true.