Hi Dana,

The winged ant in your photos looks like it could be a carpenter ant, especially if it looks larger than most other ants you've seen. To be certain, though, I would need to get a close look at the wing venation, the position of the antennae on the face, and/or the body segment connecting the thorax to the abdomen.

Here is a link to more information about carpenter ants from the PNW Insect Management Handbook...https://pnwhandbooks.org/insect/structural-health/wood-infesting-insect/wood-infesting-ant

If these are large ants and you are fairly certain that they are carpenter ants, it would be reasonable to contact a reputable local pest control company and have them do a carpenter ant inspection.

If you want us to confirm whether these are carpenter ants or not, you could send some specimens to us at the OSU Plant Clinic. Here is a link with instructions for how to submit a sample if you would like to do that. https://bpp.oregonstate.edu/plant-clinic/insect-id-clinic/how-submit-insect-and-spider-materials

Best wishes!