Woodworm help - outside (with pics)

[likeamother]

Have been ignoring this for a few weeks hoping it was just some beetles having a party but there's a big cluster on my gate post (don't have a gate) and a few on the attached fence. The gate post doesn't look treated, which I've read makes an infestation more likely.

When I Google, it looks really expensive to sort, and I'm wondering if I'm better off just getting rid of the post, if so can I just get a builder to do this? Ideally I'd get advice from a woodworm treatment place but imagine they'll just tell me I need to treat it and I'll clear myself of my savings 😩

For anyone with prior experience of this, does it look like an infestation? I can't see holes but assuming I have one because the evidence is stuck all over the wood 😳- and if it is, any idea of the best way and cost to treat it please?

Sorry for making everyone feel itchy and sick 😬

That gate post looks like it’s been pressure treated so I’d be surprised if they burrow into it.

Oh really @C4tastrophe thank you for this. I just assumed as it wasn't varnished it hadn't been! I can't see any holes, could they just be hanging around?? I did wonder about sweeping them off but (as you can probably tell) I am properly clueless about all this!

@likeamother

Diatomaceous Earth should kill them. It's a powder.

If there are no holes anywhere then you don’t have any problems, just brush them off.

Brush them off, or spray water on them. No point in killing them and starting a war with the insect world. I 🐞🐛🐜

Woodworm like my log store , some will only go into the bark, some will go into the wood. They like the softer woods , they don’t seem to go for hardwoods, get lots of powder post beetles in summer.

It doesn't look like woodworm to me. Put a ruler ir measure against the marks for your next pic.

Will the marks scrape off?

If you want to treat it (wait for a dry sunny spell) I recommend a spirit-based (solvent), not water-based, wood preserver. A litre would probably be enough. You apply multiple coats, each after the previous one has soaked in but not fully dry.

Not a paint, stain or shed and fence treatment. Some of them contain waxy water repellents, but if not you can apply stain once it is really dry.

Gloves, mask, goggles as preservers are intentionally poisonous.

Examples

www.wickes.co.uk/search?text=Wood+preserver+

www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-wood-treatment-light-brown-5ltr/34702

Thank you all so much, I really appreciate the advice and wisdom! I've scraped them off this morning so will hold fire doing anything else while I monitor. I really thought this would cost hundreds to sort. If all's well I'll then treat in spring.

@user573010482911233445559002281818484 I hadn't come across this before, thank you. I'll see if they come back and if they do definitely try it.