Do Carpenter Ant larvae cause damage to wood?

The correct understanding about carpenter ant larvae is that they do not directly cause damage to wood. Carpenter ants, unlike termites, do not eat wood. Instead, they excavate it to create nesting sites. The adult ants are responsible for this activity, and while larvae are present in the nest, they do not consume the wood or cause structural damage. The misconception might stem from the fact that the presence of carpenter ants can indicate that there is wood damage due to the adults creating their nests.

In contrast, options suggesting that larvae cause damage or require certain conditions to do so misrepresent the behavior of these pests. Carpenter ants may inhabit both dry and moist wood, but their larvae do not engage in the damaging activities associated with wood consumption. Hence, the emphasis remains on the adult ants as the agents of structural concern rather than the larvae themselves.