How do carpenter ants differ from termites in terms of damage?

Carpenter ants differ from termites primarily in that carpenter ants excavate wood to create nests but do not consume it, while termites actually eat and digest the wood as their primary food source. This distinction is crucial because it highlights the nature of the damage caused by these pests.

Carpenter ants live in colonies and typically prefer damp or decaying wood for nest-building. They remove wood fibers, which can result in hollowed-out sections of timber, potentially compromising structural integrity. However, they do not consume the wood for sustenance, which means their damage is mainly due to their nesting habits rather than feeding.

In contrast, termites ingest wood, and their feeding activity can lead to more extensive and severe structural damage over time, as they continually consume wood for nutrition. This difference in behavior underlines why understanding these pests can influence pest management strategies.

The choice of options encompasses misconceptions about the behaviors of these insects, but the one that accurately describes the situation is that carpenter ants do not consume wood while excavating it for nesting, unlike termites who both consume and damage it.