Appanoose County · 52544
Pest Control in Centerville, Iowa
The Appanoose County courthouse square in Centerville is, by most measures, the largest in the country — about six acres of Renaissance Revival brick — and eleven miles north sits Rathbun Lake, Iowa's second-largest lake at 11,000 acres. Those two facts explain almost everything about pest control here: a well-preserved old commercial core, and the heaviest mosquito and tick pressure anywhere in our service area.
- ⭐ 50+ Google five-star reviews
- Veteran-owned
- Family-owned
- Woman-owned
- Licensed & Insured in Iowa
- Open 6AM–9PM, 7 days
Centerville by the numbers
Quick facts about Centerville, Appanoose County, Iowa.
- Founded
- 1846
- Population
- ~5,300
- County
- Appanoose County (seat)
- Elevation
- 1,047 ft
- Famous for
- Largest courthouse square in the U.S. (~6 acres)
- Heritage
- Iowa's deepest coal-immigration history
- Annual event
- Pancake Day (since 1949)
- Nearby
- Lake Rathbun (Iowa's 2nd-largest lake)
A short history of Centerville
Centerville was platted in 1846 and was originally going to be named Senterville, after Tennessee senator William T. Senter — a clerical error in the state legislature dropped the 's' and the town has been Centerville ever since. It is the seat of Appanoose County, named for the Sauk chief who lived in the area before forced removal.
Centerville's town square is the largest courthouse square in the United States — about 6 acres around a Renaissance Revival courthouse — and was once the busiest commercial square in southern Iowa during the coal boom. From the 1880s through the 1930s Appanoose County coal mines employed thousands of immigrants from Italy, Croatia, Sweden, and the Balkans, and Centerville's annual Pancake Day (since 1949) descends directly from that immigrant-community tradition.
Lake Rathbun, built in 1969, sits just north of town. At 11,000 acres it is the second-largest lake in Iowa and the single biggest driver of summer recreation — and mosquito and tick pressure — in the entire region.
Services we provide in Centerville
- Ant Control
- Cockroach Control
- Bed Bug Treatment
- Rodent Control & Exclusion
- Termite Inspection & Treatment
- Spider Control
- Mosquito Control
- Box Elder & Asian Beetle Control
- Commercial Pest Control
- Agricultural & Barn Pest Control
- Quarterly Maintenance Plan
Common Centerville pest problems
Rathbun Lake cabins and lake homes see the worst mosquito pressure we deal with anywhere — monthly treatments May through October are the baseline, and we bump to bi-weekly during the peak weeks after heavy rain.
Tick exposure near wooded edges around the lake is a real risk for anyone with kids or dogs, and tick-focused yard treatment makes a noticeable difference for these properties.
In-town homes around the square carry the standard old-home issues — mice, ants, and occasional carpenter ants — similar to what we see in Albia.
Cockroach and bed bug treatment is available for rentals, cabins, and homes throughout Appanoose County, with discreet scheduling and follow-up.
Neighborhoods we serve in Centerville
- Town Square
- Rathbun Lake area
- South Centerville
- Sundown area
Why Centerville homeowners choose Pest Control Techs
The mosquito plan that works fine in Des Moines does not work at Rathbun — we build treatment frequency around actual lake-area pest pressure instead of running a generic schedule. Veteran-owned, family-owned, and woman-owned, and close enough to our Albia base to keep response times tight.
Our full service area
Centerville is part of our Central & Southeast Iowa coverage area.
Centerville pest control FAQ
Service area near Centerville
Google Reviews
What Centerville homeowners say
50+ Google five-star reviews
Veteran-owned · Family-owned · Woman-owned
"Booked at 9am, sprayed by 2pm. The ant trail in our kitchen was gone the next day. Polite, professional, and you can tell they actually care."
Megan · Ankeny
"Local folks, veterans, and they shoot straight. Showed up the same day and handled the problem in 20 minutes."
Dale · Albia
"Mice in the basement after the river came up. They didn't just trap them — they sealed every entry point. Haven't seen one since."
Carla · Ottumwa
"Switched from a national company. Faster, more responsive, and no pressure to sign a contract. Easy 5 stars."
Jeremy · Des Moines
"Box elder bugs were all over our siding. One treatment knocked them out. Will absolutely use again next fall."
Sandra · Pella
"Great experience start to finish. On time, explained exactly what they were doing, and stood behind the work."
Brian · Indianola
Ready for pest-free living in Centerville?
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