New Wood Fece Termite Damage?

They're probably not termites. Termites mostly stay out of the sun and build mud tubes to get where they want to go. I would vote for carpenter ants or some type of boring beetle.

Sealer will likely have no effect on insects. If you're using Thompson's Water Seal, it's just paraffin dissolved in naphtha, so you're just applying a thin film of candle wax.

Replace the bad boards.

Are you sure the damage was not in the board before installation? Could be carpenter bees maybe. I had a section of fence nearly destroyed by them.

If I finish sealing the

Probably not much. Kevin

Pressure treated? Any bare wood stuck into the ground will get termites, just takes longer with PT. Use a sharp tool to pick at the mushy wood - if there are termites, you should be able to see them when you dig out the damaged wood - they avoid daylight, so if you open up their tunnels they will crawl deeper to get away from light. Usually look like little cream-colored worms about 1/4" long.

Another post says you will have mud tubes if there are termites - partly right, but only subterranean termites build mud tubes and only to get from soil to wood, such as across a foundation or crawlspace wall.

Carpenter bees usually have a much larger and very regular, round hole. Termite holes, for kicking out waste, are about 1/16".

Treating the structure would have nothing at all to do with whether there are termites in the soil - assume that there are always termites in soil, just as there are ants and earthworms. Sealing up the structure, keeping wood painted and in good repair, caulking all plumb/elect openings, wood at least 6" above grade, landscaping clear of wood structural elements do a lot to keep termies out.

If there is wood, there are termites.

Turns out it was carpenter ants. They're inactive this time of year, but will need attention come spring.

Thanks for all the WONDERFUL ideas. You guys are so brilliant.