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Identification of winged ant #936408

Asked June 22, 2026, 4:28 PM EDT

I have what appear to be flying ants, coming from under a window sill on the second floor of stucco clad Minneapolis home. There are some parts of exoskeleton castings and a little detritus from under sill. Exterior penetrations (sills and trim) are metal clad. Saw some non winged small black ants (scouts) in home as well. Ants are winged and about 1/4” to centimeter long. See attached photo. I think these are black ants, but proximity to interior and wood framing make me think maybe an emerging carpenter ant isn’t out of possibility, but I’m not an entomologist. Please advise Matt

Hennepin County Minnesota

Expert Response

I am not able to positively identify the ant from your photo. From the photo and description it is likely a field ant. Below is a link to basic information about ants. I also included a link to information about carpenter ants and encourage you to compare this to those in your home. 

https://extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/ants

https://extension.umn.edu/insects-infest-homes/carpenter-ants
Amy J. Extension Master Gardener - HC Replied June 22, 2026, 10:33 PM EDT

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