Carpenter Ant “Frass” – 6/26/10

Observer: Paul Lauenstein

Observation Date: 6/26/10

Observation Time: 3:20 p.m.

Observation Location: Beaver Brook headwaters area

Common Name: Carpenter Ant “Frass”

Scientific Name: genus Camponotus

Comments: Unlike termites, carpenter ants don’t eat wood. They cannot digest cellulose, but they chew galleries in wood for their nests. They excavate wood, leaving telltale piles of sawdust called “frass.”