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About George E Serdes
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
My knowledge is in the areas of structural insect or rodent pest problems. I do not know enough about lawn and garden pests to be of any help there...

Experience
I've retired from the pest control industry in Central Florida. I spent 15 years in all areas of the industry (sales, night technician, integrated pest management specialist, service manager, and branch manager for both National and local companies.

Organizations
Former member of the Florida Pest Management Association's Board of Directors (Region IV)

Education/Credentials
Florida State Certified Pest Control Operator -

   

You are here:  Experts > Style > Landscaping > Pest Control

Questions Answered By Expert  George E Serdes 
In Category  Pest Control

SubjectDate Asked

worms in the shower11/10/2009
  Q: I was in the shower when I found some worms, wriggling around on the shower floor. The worms are ...
  A: Sounds like some kind of larvae (immature life stage of certain insects.) A good idea would be to ...
Wasps entering apartment11/7/2009
  Q: I have a bit of a problem with wasps. For the past few months I have been seeing A TON of wasps ...
  A: If you think they are getting in through an air vent - then tape some paper over the vent to see if ...
Indian Meal Moths are Persistant10/11/2009
  Q: Two weeks ago, when I saw a larvae in the crease of the living room wall and ceiling, I decided the ...
  A: Since each female lays between 100-400 eggs, and it takes the larvae anywhere from about 2 weeks to ...
Do I have termites?9/19/2009
  Q: I found about a dozen termites flying around a lamp. I called a pest control company and they ...
  A: I'd tell them what I found and where. Then mention that the attic access is from that room also. ...
moths9/18/2009
  Q: In the Fall of 2008 I discovered my first ever pantry moths infestation. There were moths, larvae, ...
  A: The thing about Indianmeal moths is that adults lay their eggs in/on the larval food material. When ...
Do I have termites?9/16/2009
  Q: I found about a dozen termites flying around a lamp. I called a pest control company and they ...
  A: There are two major types of termites - subterranean and drywood. The more common is the ...
WASPS.9/14/2009
  Q: ) so my problem is that theres this crack in my brick wall out side my house just by the door and ...
  A: I'm all for live and let live as long as no human gets hurt or sick because of an insect pest. ...
mice in van9/11/2009
  Q: I discovered mice in my van last week. We set snap traps baited with peanut butter and caught two ...
  A: A week to 10 day without any signs of activity suggests that the original problem is likely ...
moths9/11/2009
  Q: In the Fall of 2008 I discovered my first ever pantry moths infestation. There were moths, larvae, ...
  A: It's imperative that we know what species of moth is in your home. There can be several other types ...
mice9/9/2009
  Q: We live in an old (1855) house in the suburbs of STL and have been dealing with mice on and off for ...
  A: With what you've already done (sanitation, access points sealed, etc.), I can't think of any other ...
fleas9/3/2009
  Q: We have been trying to get of fleas in a vacant apartment. There is no carpet inside its all ...
  A: Fleas often are difficult to eradicate for a couple of reasons. They go through a complete ...
follow up8/31/2009
  Q: I recently wrote to you about some issues I was having with lizards around my property. I tried ...
  A: I'm sorry. I've gone through all my responses and do not find anything from you in the past. Perhaps ...
Tiny caterpillars in my house8/30/2009
  Q: Primarily on my kitchen walls, we have found these tiny caterpillars, a dozen of them in the last ...
  A: The caterpillar-like critters are most likely the immature larval stage of some type of fly, moth or ...
rodent droppings8/20/2009
  Q: I recently bought a house that had been infested by rats while empty. The rodents were eliminated ...
  A: You are correct in that the virus is only viable for a few days - so if you are absolutely sure you ...
flying ants8/18/2009
  Q: I live in the White Mtns. of NE AZ. About 6 weeks ago I encountered a "swarm" of flying ants on my ...
  A: I'm not sure who you directed your question to originally, but I retrieved it from a pool of ...
Housefly infestation but no logical source!8/17/2009
  Q: I sincerely hope you can help me. Here's the situation: My husband and I live in a relatively old ...
  A: The faint odor some time ago, along with the current fly infestation, tells us that something died - ...
Dust Mites8/11/2009
  Q: We have dust mites problems my mother wants to use a bug fogger or bug bomb will this work or is ...
  A: Bug bombs, foggers, etc. will harm your pets. Mites are oftentimes associated with birds and the ...
insects8/5/2009
  Q: I just moved into a new development 3 months ago, all of a sudden I start seeing these brownish-red ...
  A: There are several species of insects that breed in drains. The entire group is referred to as "drain ...
Question on mouse or spider or maybe even roach dropping8/4/2009
  Q: We never saw any signs of a rodent except seeing him run across the kitchen. We also seem to have a ...
  A: Sorry it's taken me so long to get back with you. Had some issues with my E-mail - resolved now... ...
Rodents in the attic8/3/2009
  Q: How do I go about getting rid of rodents in my attic. My daughter hears them at night above her ...
  A: First step is to be certain of what kind of critter is up there. Someone needs to go up to the attic ...
Identification of feces7/31/2009
  Q: I have been having an issue with some sort of pest that lives in or around my lower cabinets. All I ...
  A: Most of time, mouse droppings are tapered on one end, but not always. Gnawed foodstuff and droppings ...
Dead squirrel in wall/maggots in home7/29/2009
  Q: I live in the top story of an apartment and had a squirrel problem in the beginning of the summer, ...
  A: Ask maintenance to seal up the crack under the mouldings. If the maggots can't get into your unit, ...
bugs in window screen guides7/26/2009
  Q: I have bugs that gestate in the guides for my window screens every year. They grow inside cocoon ...
  A: I would like to help you, but the first step is to determine what critter is bothering you. ...
confused7/18/2009
  Q: ok so here is what happened. i am staying with my mom in florida and my worst fear came true, ...
  A: There are two major issues here: (1) the erroneous information you have received about boric acid; ...
Brown House Moth7/9/2009
  Q: For many months now, maybe since around Christmas, I have had a problem with what I think are brown ...
  A: Help is here... Your problem is a common one, involving some type of "stored product pest". Likely ...
Single Cockroach?7/9/2009
  Q: It's 2:14am where I am and it just took me 30 minutes to kill a 2-inch long cockroach (not including ...
  A: The saying about seeing one and having hundreds refers to german roaches. They are much smaller than ...
Noises in the wall7/7/2009
  Q: I have a four year old new construction home. About 6-8 months after we first moved in I had to ...
  A: Noises in the walls can be lots of things, from pests such as ants and rodents, to simply a tree ...
mice6/25/2009
  Q: I have a mice problem in my wall/attic. Is it to have metal flashing put along the roof gutter ...
  A: I don't know exactly what you are talking about when you say ..."all of the other things". But I ...
mouse5/27/2009
  Q: about 2 years ago I caught several mice in my house. I searched the entire perimeter of my house ...
  A: That gap between slabs is a definite suspect. Try loosely packing it with newspaper - loose enough ...
mouse5/26/2009
  Q: about 2 years ago I caught several mice in my house. I searched the entire perimeter of my house ...
  A: As to your concern about an electrical fire - Although it's very rare, there is a small chance that ...
Bird Mites Infestation!5/23/2009
  Q: I have an infestation of bird mites in my bedroom - they've been in evidence everywhere - walls, ...
  A: Well, they could be living on the parrot as their host, but why then would they leave it? I'd say ...
i.d. of feces5/21/2009
  Q: cannot i.d. feces in basement of lakeside home. 3 inches long, as narrow as a pencil lead. Black, ...
  A: I do not recognize the material you are describing, but I can tell you that it is not the fecal ...
black widow5/17/2009
  Q: ok, i know i'm going to sound paranoid, but when i went down to my basement today i swear to god i ...
  A: You don't sound paranoid at all. Black widows are indeed poisonous, and their neurotoxic venom is ...
Carpenter Ants5/14/2009
  Q: I followed one under the wood paneling on the side of the garage. When I pulled off the panel I saw ...
  A: A grand a year seems high to me. In the old days we had to do a lot of intensive and invasive work ...
Carpenter Ants5/12/2009
  Q: I followed one under the wood paneling on the side of the garage. When I pulled off the panel I saw ...
  A: A dust insecticide will destroy ants for sure, but the key to totally ridding yourself of this ...
roaches5/7/2009
  Q: IF you look at animals such as shrimp, lobsters, crayfish, crabs, scorpions, cockroaches, etc they ...
  A: In Florida where I live, we have about 55 different species of roaches. All but one of them lives ...
wood damaging insects4/29/2009
  Q: I plan on using logs (2ft.-6ft.) placed on top of or burried just in the ground, in my yard and ...
  A: OK, your follow-up clarifies the situation somewhat. You might try treating the wood with a borate ...
wood damaging insects4/25/2009
  Q: I plan on using logs (2ft.-6ft.) placed on top of or burried just in the ground, in my yard and ...
  A: Sorry for the late response, apparently never got the Email notification of your question... The ...
unknown insect4/10/2009
  Q: what kind of bug looks like a caterpillar with legs like a spider about 15 per side and has antennas ...
  A: I can't be certain without seeing the critter, but your description sounds like a house centipede. ...
Rid of Water bugs4/5/2009
  Q: I think they are water bugs, they look like very large roaches. They come through the sinks in my ...
  A: If they are coming up from the drains, they are probably American roaches that live in the sewer ...
Weird Bug?3/12/2009
  Q: We have this bug that we always find these small little bugs hanging from our walls. We first ...
  A: Unfortunately I'd need more data to identify the critter. It may be the immature stage of life of ...
tunnels3/4/2009
  Q: We just bought a 30 year old house in phoenix az and we did have the termite inspection done by ...
  A: Absolutely have it checked out by a couple of other companies. It costs you nothing, and you should ...
tunnels3/4/2009
  Q: We just bought a 30 year old house in phoenix az and we did have the termite inspection done by ...
  A: Very wise move on your part to be concerned about this. Termites can be a very insidious threat to ...
Termite Bond2/25/2009
  Q: I live in far west Florida on the AL boarder. My wood frame home over slab with brick vener was ...
  A: There's a couple of things in your message that stand out. First, what are they doing when they ...
Can roaches spread from Grandmas apartment to our house from her dog?1/14/2009
  Q: My mother is having a roach problem in her apartment. She is having it sprayed today and she and ...
  A: Yes, roaches can hitchhike into your home via your Mother's purse, clothing, etc. I doubt the dog ...
gnats in the house12/29/2008
  Q: I live in Las Vegas, where its damn cold right now. However I notice tiny gnats flying about as ...
  A: In order to get rid of them, we need to find the area in the house in which they are breeding. ...
Termite bait station vs chemical barriers12/16/2008
  Q: Mr. Serdes, I bought a new (construction) house last December. On my agent's assistance, the ...
  A: There are several different bait systems on the market and a wide variety of different types of ...
Termites and Ants11/18/2008
  Q: I am in Michigan and wondering if you can help us educate ourselves on the best approach to treating ...
  A: .. 1) The company disparaging "chemicals" gets low marks in my book because their baits are also ...
what climate are the german cockroaches found in11/15/2008
  Q: My family moved up to Oregon in the beginning of June from Arizona. While we lived in Arizona we ...
  A: When you stop and think about it, the roaches haven't really changed their environment all that ...
Phorid flies11/13/2008
  Q: We have an invasion of phorid flies in a commercial strip center. Pest control people immediately ...
  A: Phorid flies breed in rotting materials. So, although they could be breeding in the dirt ...
flys (massive) on one bedroom window11/5/2008
  Q: I can sweep up the window sill of all flies (almost black with that many filling it) and the next ...
  A: The actions of this pest suggest cluster flies, but your description of them being smaller than ...
"UFIs"10/16/2008
  Q: Hey George, I live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and ever since the hurricane (Gustav) I have had these ...
  A: The secret to getting rid of UFIs is to make them IFIs (Identified flying insects). A couple of ...
Phorid Flies10/13/2008
  Q: Florida and moved into a condo about 3 years ago. Each summer, our condo is infested with phorid ...
  A: Phorid flies breed anywhere moisture and organic material are allowed to stay in contact long enough ...
wasps in return air vent10/12/2008
  Q: We live in Western PA. We have just obseved several wasps come out of our return air vent which runs ...
  A: Getting rid of them is going to depend on a couple of things. First thing is what kind of wasps are ...
Insects ?in log house walls10/10/2008
  Q: We hear bug chewing sounds in the logs of our log cabin. We hear this at night and can identify the ...
  A: There are several species of wood destroying insects (the larval stage of old house borers and ...
Fruit flies10/9/2008
  Q: I wrote you last night with a fruit fly problem but...we finally found our source this morning!!!! ...
  A: Super news Jennifer, The biggest part of solving a flying insect problem is identifying the ...
killing rats10/6/2008
  Q: I live in landers, ca and have a bad rat problem. I have tried snap traps but our rats seem to be ...
  A: As long as your "other animals" don't eat the poisoned rats you needn't fear secondary poisoning. ...
new pest.....9/26/2008
  Q: I contacted you before about a lovely gnat problem. Well.. now I have moths. Before I moved, we ...
  A: The critters definitely sound like stored product pests - might be either Indianmeal moths or ...
Termite problem?9/24/2008
  Q: I found some 3 winged termites in and around the house in the last week or so. Don't recall having ...
  A: First, are you sure they are termites and not winged ants? If possible, keep specimens in some ...
GNATS! GNATS! GNAAAAAATS!9/20/2008
  Q: I have GNATS. IN MY HOUSE. EVERYWHERE. *scream* Mostly around the cat's litter box and mostly ...
  A: Here's the thing, in order to get rid of the critters, we MUST find out what they are - exactly... ...
GNATS! GNATS! GNAAAAAATS!9/18/2008
  Q: I have GNATS. IN MY HOUSE. EVERYWHERE. *scream* Mostly around the cat's litter box and mostly ...
  A: Where did they come from? Mother Nature...obviously a pregnant one got in the house, found a spot ...
tiny reddish brown gnat like things9/16/2008
  Q: My bathroom was all of a sudden full of very tiny reddish brown gnat or fruit fly like things. They ...
  A: The first step in getting rid of them is determining what they are... I would need more details to ...
noisey vibration in wall9/13/2008
  Q: George. After a good deal of renovation, I moved into a small home in Dallas. I immediately noticed ...
  A: I've investigated a number of cases of "noises in walls". The solutions have ranged from rodents to ...
bee nest9/9/2008
  Q: is there a bomb that wont put off heat (I don't want to start a fire). Or what else can you ...
  A: "Bombs" simply release a non-residual insecticide into the air. As it floats back to the ground it ...
ants in my attic9/1/2008
  Q: Crawling up the block side, under the aluminum facia siding and into the attic and back out again ...
  A: Simply because of their vast numbers they just keep coming and coming and we always found that baits ...
bedbugs8/31/2008
  Q: can vinager kill bedbugs?
  A: If you submerged a bedbug in vinegar, it would drown. But as far as spraying vinegar on them, there ...
ants in my attic8/30/2008
  Q: Crawling up the block side, under the aluminum facia siding and into the attic and back out again ...
  A: Carpenter ants will indeed appropriate termite galleries for their own use. And they will enlarge ...
pesticide as a suspension in air8/29/2008
  Q: i am from ontario canada.my questions is this,when anyone who does a pesticide as a suspension in ...
  A: You will need to speak with a local authority in Ontario about the pesticide laws in your area. I ...
mice8/28/2008
  Q: i have no problem with mice in the basement in winter. i know that it's the common problem in New ...
  A: I'm sorry, but the first few sentences of your inquiry are confusing. Are you saying you do not mind ...
Cockroaches8/25/2008
  Q: Serdes! I have a question about how to stop cockroaches. There are hundreds of cockroaches in our ...
  A: My dear Sunagn, First, stop spraying. It appears you are dealing with a German roach problem, and ...
Lyctus Powderpost Beetles8/23/2008
  Q: I have Lyctus Powderpost beetles eating my hardwood floors ( oak ) These have been positively ...
  A: Before I get to your questions, here's some general info about your problem. Lyctids attack the ...
learning the trade8/23/2008
  Q: is there a book that i can buy,that will show me what the pest look like and there name?i do not ...
  A: There are tons of books available about the subject of entomology, but since you entitled the ...
Roaches near the tub8/22/2008
  Q: I live in NYC in a brownstone apartment. I recently moved in and found 2 large dead cockroaches ...
  A: Sorry for the delay John, Been busy with tropical storm Fay-related issues down here in Florida. ...
Termites Behind Fireplace8/12/2008
  Q: Hey, We have termite tunnels coming out from behind the mantel of our fireplace. We have a wood ...
  A: Here's the thing Andrew, those termite tubes you're seeing are the tip of an iceberg. Why the ...
flying ants in house8/9/2008
  Q: house was tented with vikane gas for drywood termites a week ago. i am now noticing more and more ...
  A: Absolutely the Vikane would have killed ANYTHING - so not sure what's up with these critters. Here's ...
Ant Spray8/1/2008
  Q: indoor ant spray. The ingredients are Tetramethrin, Permethrin, and Piperonyl Buitoxide. ...
  A: No solvent is necessary. Soap (detergent)and water and a bit of elbow grease is all you need. The ...
mice in house7/28/2008
  Q: One of the other experts answered my original post, and his response was helpful;however, he is no ...
  A: Mice only need a 1/4" opening to get into your home, and with a crawl space, it can be difficult to ...
killer cicada wasps7/25/2008
  Q: I see that you have said not to kill these wasps. we have small children as well as I am highly ...
  A: I fully understand your concern about stings. However, you have little chance of being stung by ...
Ants in the fireplace7/23/2008
  Q: I have ants coming into my living room from behind my gas fire, i have had the council in but he ...
  A: The key is to figure out why the ants are coming into your home. The way ants work is that they send ...
bee's on my wood privacy fence7/21/2008
  Q: I have a patio 4 foot wide by 20 foot long next to my brick house,it is surrounded by 6 foot privacy ...
  A: Sorry to hear you and your dog have been stung. Never a pleasant thing, so hope it doesn't happen ...
german roaches7/7/2008
  Q: I just bought 2 acres and under each large oak tree (9) there is an infestation of roaches. I have ...
  A: Hey Chuck, You've entitled this query as "geman roaches" - but that's probably NOT the issue. More ...
wages7/5/2008
  Q: what kind of wages can a person make doing pest control/ greg
  A: Hey Greg, A few companies - mostly the small sole proprietors - pay hourly rates. These rates are ...
Termite treatment6/23/2008
  Q: I live in a 1400 square foot cedar siding home on a monolithic concrete slab. (whew) I have evidence ...
  A: If I were doing it myself, and only had the two choices you are considering, I'd go with the ...
Termite Bond6/4/2008
  Q: I live in Cent Fla, we have had a annual bond with Massey for 5 years (2003 home was built) single ...
  A: Hey Mike, Short answer is... Keep the Bond active. It may even cost you more than $200.00 - but my ...
Mice5/30/2008
  Q: I am wondering if there is some type of a pesticide we can spray or sprinkle around the outside of ...
  A: Sorry, but there isn't any repellent material available to keep mice away. But, in most cases, it ...
Apartment building mice5/27/2008
  Q: I live in an 80-year old apartment building in New York City. While the building has regular ...
  A: There isn't any natural solution to excluding mice. The only way to keep them out is to seal up or ...
do rats come back?5/24/2008
  Q: my question concerns why/how rats will re-infest an area that had been priorly cleaned and/or ridded ...
  A: Yes, it often happens that rats come back into areas of prior infestation. Sometimes it's not even a ...
Wood bore issues5/20/2008
  Q: I have a 4-stall, 2-story garage built in the 70's. The central squareish support beam was taken ...
  A: Boy, I wish we had something like what you describe - but unfortunately... We ARE seeing some ...
Little clear wings on the ground?5/19/2008
  Q: I just walked into my basement and noticed that there are hundreds of little clear wings on the ...
  A: John, This sounds like a typical sign of a termite swarm. A termite swarm is a sign of termite ...
Major Fruit Fly/Drain Fly problem5/16/2008
  Q: We have a serious fruit fly and drain fly problem. We live outside of Boston, MA. This had been ...
  A: Hey Alex, Sorry for such a disjointed answer - but just can't sit still very long at a time - do ...
Rat sighting in the daylight hours5/14/2008
  Q: I have lived in an apartment complex fro almost 4 years now and for the first time I saw a large rat ...
  A: Virgil, I thought I had gotten back to you on this, but it is showing up as an "unanswered ...
Major Fruit Fly/Drain Fly problem5/14/2008
  Q: We have a serious fruit fly and drain fly problem. We live outside of Boston, MA. This had been ...
  A: I'm recovering from a pulled muscle so I can't sit at my computer very long. Let me give you a ...
Rat sighting in the daylight hours5/13/2008
  Q: I have lived in an apartment complex fro almost 4 years now and for the first time I saw a large rat ...
  A: Both of our major rat species (roof rats and Norway rats) tend to have nocturnal habits - so it's ...
Pin holes in sheetrock and wood shavings on the floor5/4/2008
  Q: In a corner of the house I found a inch high pile of wood shavings and a dozen pinholes in the ...
  A: Dick, There are several possibilities, ranging from carpenter ants, through wood boring beetle ...
centipede invasion4/23/2008
  Q: We moved into a house that has been vacant for several years. We have part crawl space and part ...
  A: Gloria, Centipedes feed on critters that are often found in damp places, so centipedes themselves ...

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