In the wild, carpenter ants make their homes in dead and fallen trees; and, like termites, serve the important purpose of breaking down wood and returning needed nutrients to the forest floor and soil. Unfortunately in our neighborhoods, they don’t differentiate between dead trees and the structural lumbar and timbers that comprise our homes! Starting in the spring and until the first frosts in the fall, keep an eye out for swarming and signs of natures little wood saws.