Lusaka - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Lol. Look, I'm a hardcore arachnophobe. Before we arrived, I cried when I heard about the flatties (large wall spiders endemic to the region). For the first two weeks, I did a full room sweep: under the bed, behind the headboard, even rifling through the sheets before turning off the light at bedtime. I called my therapist and asked to restart my antidepressants (not joking). Flatties are not the problem. It's ants, termites, a weird flying insect that hatches and swarms inside our kitchen at least twice a year, roaches, mosquitoes, wolf spiders (shudder, thankfully these are fairly rare in our house), and things like that. Every morning we wake up, and the ants have made a thick line to the cat food, or the stray speck of bread that didn't get swept up the night before, or the apple core that I hadn't gotten to cleaning off the cutting board from breakfast. We've found massive ant clusters in the water chamber in the coffeepot, the honey, the kitchen sink. Every morning. You MUST do your dishes and sweep/mop the floor after meals, otherwise the ants will consume anything not nailed down within an hour or two. The houses are not sealed against the outside: there are large gaps around the door thresholds and windows. So anything outside that wants to come in is going to come in. The sooner you adjust to that, the better it will go for you. Our baseboards have fist-sized holes in them from the termites. We find dozens of wings from the flying termites scattered across the kitchen floor during their swarming season. We find roaches a few times a week, but our cats and the resident geckos help a lot with those. There's a gecko named Bob who lives in my bedroom, and we're friends because he makes sure the mosquitoes and roaches generally stay out of the sleeping area. Same with the flatties. I like the flatties now. Flatties eat the mosquitoes and other bugs. As long as they stay generally out of sight on top of the kitchen cupboards, I do not even think about them anymore. On the bright side, my fear of bugs is much, much diminished. Exposure therapy does wonders. Also, there's really no malaria in the city, so we don't sleep under mosquito nets (though the Embassy does provide them). You only need malaria prophylaxis if you travel out of the city. It's important to be wary of snakes, and we've found a few big-ish ones around the neighborhood, but most are non-venomous, meaning that they won't kill you if they bite you, but it will definitely leave a mark and slow you down for a few days. It's not a big enough concern that it stops me from letting the kids run around outside sans shoes. We remind them not to reach into thick brush when making forts, and there are a few trees we've told them not to climb because the foliage is too thick to properly check for snakes. It has honestly not been a problem. You also have to be careful about wet laundry left outside. There's a bug that lays eggs in wet cloth, and if you then use (for example) a towel that's been left outside, the insect will burrow into your skin to lay eggs, hatch, and then emerge. It's happened to several people in the community. Apparently, you kill them by rubbing vaseline on your skin to smother them. No, thanks. We don't leave clothes outside. But the ants. My god, the ants. It is a war you will not win. - Feb 2026
Ants, cockroaches, spiders, rats, mice and occasional snakes and lots of termites. All manageable in most housing, but takes time to find the solution. - Apr 2025
The ants will get on your nerves sometimes but it's seasonal. Snails too, seasonal. Termites can be an issue. Lusaka is not a malaria city, but if you go out of town you'll want your anti-malarials. - Mar 2022
Not really. There are flattie spiders, lizards, mosquitos, etc., but nothing crazy. We sometimes find chameleons in our backyards and those on Leopards Hill Road and farther out get snakes sometimes. - Dec 2021
You get used to the bugs. We haven't had any major issues in our house, just a few ants and wall spiders. We also get lizards in the house. Other people have had putsi fly issues. Mosquitos are less common in Lusaka but definitely a concern in the provinces, and malaria is prevalent. - Feb 2018
Lots of ants, flying termites for the first couple of weeks of the rainy season and mosquitoes. - Nov 2017
Bugs are everywhere, but usually not a problem! Ants will come marching in during cold season. Mosquitoes and flies are annoying during the rainy season, so make sure to use that bed net and wear repellent. Big wall crab spiders (called "flatties," here) can be jarring but are harmless. Roaches will show up in rainy season, but can be managed. Six-inch centipedes (called chongololos and kind of cute), crickets, mole crickets, toe-pinchers, locusts, and other small insects will wander or fly into your house from time to time, but aren't issues.
We've also had a dog, a cat, several birds, lizards, and a very small snake in our house, but they disappeared quickly when our dog saw them. Termites show up during the first rains and can be quite beautiful flying around in twilight, as long as you keep your screens shut! Snakes can be a problem, so make sure your gardener knows how to identify and deal with the bad ones (mambas, puff adders, boomslang, and cobras). Owls are also good to have around to control snakes and rodents, but they come and go as they please. There are fantastic birds in Lusaka, so keep an eye out for colorful fly-catchers, rollers, kingfishers, widowbirds, cordon bleu, red bishops, turacos, peacocks, hornbills, raptors, and more! - Jan 2017
Ants, ants everywhere, especially when it starts to get cold. - Jun 2016
Mosquitoes are prevalent but many only take anti-malarial drugs when traveling outside of the city. Otherwise, ants and cockroaches can pop up at certain times of the year. - May 2016
In Lusaka there isn't malaria, but outside of Lusaka (where all the activities are) there is malaria so prophylaxis is recommended when traveling. Also, the tse-tse flies can be really really awful in some parks. If you are not familiar with tse-tses, they are similar to horseflies in that they bite. But somehow the bites seem much more painful. Many people have distinct reactions (swelling, itching, pain, oozing) that can be quite dramatic. Tse-tses can carry sleeping sickness, although that seems very uncommon. Also, they are practically impossible to kill or repel. You may find very large cockroaches, ants, flatties (flat spiders) and various other insects in your house--and skinks and geckos trying to solve that problem for you too. - Mar 2015
Cockroaches, ants, mosquitoes outside of Lusaka - the real risk for malaria is outside of the capital. - Aug 2014
Small ants, spiders and geckos. Very easy to manage. - Jan 2014
Outside of Lusaka malaria prophylaxis is necessary in most of the country. Ants, termites, cockroaches, spiders...all sorts of insects are here, but with luck and a clean house, hopefully not too much of a problem indoors. Putsi flies (or mango flies or tumbu flies) are also a problem in the wet season if one is not careful. These flies lay their eggs on wet materal like towels damp from swimming or seat cushions left in the rain. When the eggs come in contact with skin they can burrow right on in, resulting in some pretty large maggots within a week or so right there in one's leg, scalp, shoulder or any other body part. Totally and completely disgusting, but easy to treat and not dangerous. Also avoidable if one is careful to use a clothes dryer rather than a line, fresh towels, and one brings in cushions, etc., at night and when not in use. Despite the way this all sounds, insects are not a huge or particular problem here, really! - Apr 2013
The mosquitos carry malaria - fortunately there aren't many of them in Lusaka itself. Outside the city, be prepared for this. There are tse-tse flies in parts of the country, particularly in Kafue National Park - even 100% deet won't repel these so wear long clothes - just don't wear white or blue, as these seem especially yummy to tse-tse! - Jul 2010
None in Lusaka. - Mar 2009
Mosquitos, putsifly, the normal African dudus. - Mar 2009
