I set a 4x4 pressure treated post in a 3 foot deep hole with about 3 inches of leftover driveway gravel in the bottom and concrete all around and up the post.
Are termites likely to find their way up through that gravel and get to the post?
Do termites usually forage as deep as 3 feet in the ground?
They could but probably wont do damage to the PTL
Yes
Yes, but pressure treated, there should be no problem. Termites will also build tunnels to wood above ground so you do not even have to be in direct contact with soil to get infested. I have pressure treated wood in bare ground for many years without termite attack while they were in untreated wood and neighbors house. Neighbors treatment killed the colony.
PT isn't magic potion - it delays, but does not prevent trmite damage. Termite colonies can span hundreds of feet, so finding you wood post is likely a matter of chance. Termites don't go through painted wood if the coat of paint is intact; coating the post might ensure longer life.
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