Addis Ababa - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
No. There are mosquitoes but not malaria-carrying, and we haven't had issues. - Dec 2023
The usual lower-latitude developing country issues. Mosquitoes. - Aug 2023
We haven’t had any problems. - Aug 2023
Not that I can remember. Maybe the tiny cockroaches because other people don't keep their houses or apartments clean, but that's it. - Aug 2022
Not much - Jul 2022
Not where I live. The whole place is a construction site, so many expats seem suffer from air pollution and sinuses because of the altitude. If you live in the bole/kirkos districts, expect unusual dust in your house - May 2022
Lots of ants, but that's typical for Africa. - Jun 2021
No. - Feb 2021
The usual developing country issues - some people have rodents, some have flying bugs, some have mosquitoes. House and apartments do not have screens to prevent their entry. - Aug 2020
I had flies that housing/ facilities could not get rid of in a bathroom for a year. Some people have spiders. Nothing terribly extreme. - Mar 2020
Insects in the home aren't too bad. Ants on occasion, a few mosquitos, flies. We've seen rats outside. Lots of stray dogs and cats. On a whole, Ethiopians do not seem to be overly cruel to animal in Addis. Not expat standards, but not the worst I've seen. However, I've heard animals will be poisoned to decrease the population, which is horrible. - Feb 2020
We have ants off and on but not a big deal. We had rats and that was another problem that seemed to take a long time to address. - Feb 2019
Plenty of critters around here. Ants, roaches, rats, spiders, mites, Kenyan Ants (yikes), bullet ants (double yikes), moths, moths, moths, silver fish, and many, many more. - Aug 2018
Bedbugs, fleas, and mites. - Jul 2018
Addis is at high altitude so no malaria, but as soon as you leave Addis you need to take malaria meds. - Jan 2018
I had ants for a while until we sprayed, but nothing out of the ordinary. - Sep 2017
See above. Not really although a bit of an issue with ants during the rainy season. - Aug 2016
We regularly have issues with infestations in the house. Spiders...ugh. Ants, moths, you name it. Not tropical, but the houses are so poorly built they are basically high-level camping, so easy for pests to enter. - Aug 2016
None. In fact, this is one of the few malaria-free posts in Africa, because of the altitude. - Feb 2016
Some nuisance bugs but nothing too bad. - May 2014
Black biting ants (a month or two) and mosquitoes. Our house is plagued with swarms of mosquitoes 10 months out of the year. No malaria issues in Addis Ababa, but we need mosquito nets around all of our beds to keep them from biting and buzzing in our ears. No issues during the day but they harass us relentlessly at night. Most houses do not have this issue - it's a roll of the dice. - Jan 2014
Sometimes ants during rainy season but generally nothing in Addis Ababa as it is not in a malaria zone. Other parts of the country do have mosquito/malaria problems. - Nov 2013
Addis is a malaria-free zone. However, once you leave the city limits, you will be in a malaria zone. Make sure your pets are protected from fleas and ticks. They cause health issues. Bedbugs are making headway here. - Jun 2012
Haven't had a problem. They say Malaria isn't a problem. - Aug 2010
None. - Jun 2010
