What is the difference between a regular ant and a carpenter ant?

Carpenter ants can be black, brown, red, or a combination of these colors. They can be easily distinguished from most other pest ants by the carpenter ant’s “heart-shaped” head. Carpenter ants can be found throughout the U.S. and are named for their ability to excavate nests in wood, creating smooth tunnels or galleries. In the U.S. few other ant species have this behavior. Carpenter ant damage is sometimes confused with that of termites, which also damage wood. Unlike termites that eat wood, carpenter ants hollow out wood, leaving behind small piles of sawdust. Carpenter ants prefer to build nests within decaying, moist wood – sometimes creating multiple nests in a single area. They are commonly found in porch pillars, roofs, windowsills, dead trees and dead parts of living trees.  more