Is this woodworm or something else?

[jcfcj]

Hi, I bought a used desk off ebay. There are some areas of damage (photos attached) -- could this be woodworm? Should I be worried about active woodworm spreading to other pieces of furniture? Thanks!

Hold it over some paper and tap it, if you get a loads of wood dust falling out of the holes then it is active woodworm.
Yes it can spread to other furniture, beams etc.

If it's active woodworm - and @WhirlAndCleek has told you how to check - you can get a treatment to paint on. Just check the desk thoroughly inside and out and follow the instructions - and then maybe check six months later and another six months after that.

Yes it’s woodworm, I would personally get rid of it before they hatch out (usually spring time!) and spread to other furniture- they can be an absolute bugger to get rid of. We are still battling them after buying a second hand log basket which was riddled, it spread to beams and door frames etc and we still have them now. Get rid and save yourself the hassle! If you absolutely must keep it then treat the wood RIGHT NOW as they’ll be hatching any day now.

Many thanks for the advice! We did the wood dust test and concluded no active woodworm. Then, to be sure, we asked an expert to take a look. But I'll definitely be more cautious in future about preloved wooden furniture.