If you lived in the northeast US, where the winter this year was harsh to the point of break records, you might just now be starting to think about carpenter ants and spring pest control. Here in Brevard County, pest control service technicians are always on the lookout for evidence of carpenter ants. 
With mild winters and very few frosts, homes in our area can be severely affected by carpenter ants. We have all the conditions this pest likes best and very few of the conditions that can hold them in check. If you live in Florida, carpenter ants are always a concern.
In nature, carpenter ants perform a valuable service. They are the clean-up crew. They burrow into dead trees and excavate tunnels in soft wood to make their homes. This action hastens the decaying process in the wood, breaking it down even further and returning it to the earth more quickly.
Carpenter ants, like termites, will swarm in order to mate and establish new colonies. Carpenter ants will fly out of the nest and high into their air in search of first mates and then for new territory to colonize. This often happens in the spring. However, since our temperatures remain within their comfort zone most of the year smaller swarms can recur whenever there is sufficient moisture and heat. Another sign is discarded wood. Carpenter ants don’t consume wood. They just burrow in it. All the unwanted wood shavings and sawdust will be piled up outside of the nest’s entry holes.
Since these are social insects, bait is usually the most effective pest control treatment for carpenter ants. The foraging workers bring the bait back to the nest and feed it to all the other residents including the queen. In time, the nest dies off entirely. Your local termite and pest control professionals can advise you on what baits to use and how best to apply them.