What evidence do Carpenter ants leave to indicate their presence?

Carpenter ants are known for their nesting habits that involve tunneling through wood, which they do not eat but use to create their nests. One of the primary indicators of their presence is the small wood shavings they leave behind. These wood shavings are often fine and can appear as a sawdust-like material around entry points or areas where the ants are active. This debris is a clear sign of their activity and helps identify infested areas, since it results from the process of removing wood to excavate their nesting sites.

The other manifestations, such as holes in walls, can occur due to various pests or structural issues, moisture damage typically points to water-related problems rather than specifically to carpenter ants, and while dead insects can occasionally be found near nests, they are not a definitive indicator of carpenter ant presence. The presence of wood shavings specifically correlates with their nesting behavior, making it the most reliable evidence of carpenter ants' activity in an area.