They tend many aphid species but can also express preference for specific ones. Carpenter ants can increase the survivability of aphids when they tend them. They are also known for eating other sugary liquids such as honey, syrup, or juices. Common foods for them include insect parts, " honeydew" produced by aphids, or extrafloral nectar from plants. These ants are foragers that typically eat parts of other dead insects or substances derived from other insects. In the farming, the ants protect the aphids while they excrete a sugary fluid called honeydew, which the ants get by stroking the aphids with their antennae.Ĭarpenter ants are considered both predators and scavengers. Nevertheless, their ability to excavate wood helps in forest decomposition. They also commonly infest wooden buildings and structures, and are a widespread nuisance and major cause of structural damage. Sometimes, carpenter ants hollow out sections of trees. However, unlike termites, they do not consume wood, discarding a material that resembles sawdust. They build nests inside wood consisting of galleries chewed out with their mandibles, preferably in dead, damp wood. Carpenter ants ( Camponotus spp.) are large (0.3 to 1 in or 8 to 25 mm) ants indigenous to many forested parts of the world.
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