Centipede Control

Centipedes In Central Texas

Centipedes look frightening but are mostly beneficial hunters, and knowing how they live explains where they turn up.

Centipedes are predators that follow their prey, which the Texas A&M AgriLife guide to centipedes describes, so a lot of them often points to another insect problem.

Signs You Have Centipedes

Centipedes give themselves away in a few ways:

• Fast centipedes darting across floors and walls in bathrooms or basements at night.
• Centipedes in damp areas like closets, under sinks, and in crawl spaces.
• Other insects present, the prey that draws centipedes in.
• Damp, humid conditions that centipedes depend on.

Are Centipedes Dangerous?

Centipedes are mostly harmless and even helpful, since they hunt the insects and spiders around a home. Most people never have a problem with them beyond the startle of seeing one move.

Larger centipedes can bite if handled or trapped against skin, and the bite feels like a bee sting with some local pain and swelling. It is rarely serious for a healthy adult. Centipedes do not spread disease or damage the home.

How We Get Rid of Centipedes

Stride treats centipedes through the five-step Stride Forward process, aimed at the moisture and prey that keep them around:

1. Inspect. We check the damp harborage, the cracks and voids centipedes hide in, and the insects they are hunting.
2. Identify. We confirm centipedes and the moisture and prey feeding them.
3. Recommend. We point out the humidity to cut, the gaps to seal, and the prey pests to control.
4. Treat. We apply a residual and a dust into the cracks and voids where centipedes shelter, treat the perimeter, and reduce the insect prey.
5. Evaluate. We monitor on recurring visits, since centipedes return wherever prey and moisture remain.

Our GreenPro certification guides this reduced-risk approach.

How to Keep Centipedes Away

Keeping centipedes down means removing their moisture and their food:

• Reduce humidity with dehumidifiers and better ventilation.
• Seal cracks and gaps around baseboards, pipes, and the foundation.
• Control the insects centipedes hunt, since they follow their prey.
• Clear damp debris and mulch away from the foundation.
• Declutter damp basements, closets, and storage.

Centipede Control Frequently Asked Questions

Stride Forward is our Integrated Pest Management program where we partner with our clients in the long-term removal and prevention of pests. Keeping your property free of unwanted insects and rodents works best when we work together.

The program combines habitat manipulation, biological control, cultural behavior changes, and the targeted use of products designed to repel or eradicate pests. Our approach follows five steps, with non-chemical methods prioritized before any product application.

Our Certifications & Awards

Stride Pest Control holds QualityPro and GreenPro certifications through the NPMA’s Foundation for Professional Pest Management, and fewer than 3% of pest control companies nationwide hold both. QualityPro requires background checks on every service member, a drug-free workplace, and 16 standards that exceed state and federal requirements.

Our Austin and Round Rock office operates under Texas Department of Agriculture license TPCL #667951, with Burton Johnston as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our San Antonio office operates under TPCL #827449, with Alex Randall as Responsible Certified Applicator. Our office manager, Michael Honeycutt, is an Associate Certified Entomologist through the Entomological Society of America.

Founded in 2013, we have served nearly 12,000 customers across Central Texas and hold a 4.9-star rating across 2,400+ reviews with an A+ from the BBB.