Nouakchott - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Those little lids surrounding your house and that big cistern with a lid on top that you park your car over... they're full of your poop. The embassy does their best to clean out the very shallow system draining your waste into your cistern, but given the heat and proximity to your drains, roaches are a problem. Oh, and let's not forget mosquitoes! Good God, there are more mosquitoes in Nouakchott than Louisiana, despite the desert. Absolutely awful and highly recommend installing mosquito nets and purchasing mosquito killing tennis rackets. - Dec 2024
Ants are everywhere. Buy/bring baits. A few people have complained about seeing roaches but in our time here we haven’t seen a single one in our residence. During the short wet season flies swarm any outdoor gather you might have with food, but thankfully that’s a short season. - Jan 2023
Given lack of rainfall here most people do not experience pests (cockroaches, mice) as they do in similar developing countries. Ants and large/aggressive flies are common, but generally kept under control. - Aug 2021
Cockroaches, flies, and water bugs. - Aug 2021
No, housing is well-managed. You might have the occasional insect coming in but that is usually a one-off. - Sep 2020
Periodic cockroaches and ants, and one mouse. This can get worse during the hot season. We brought some traps that worked great. Some products also available locally, but safety is questionable. - Apr 2019
Not as bad as I thought it would be. My house only had a few cockroaches when I moved in and we were able to get rid of them quickly. Almost no ants. But the mosquitoes, they are everywhere. If you don't sleep under your embassy-provided mosquito net over your bed, they will eat you alive. - May 2016
Mosquitoes, flies, ants, roaches, slugs. I purchased DE (Diatomaceous earth) to get rid of the creepy crawlies and it worked fine. - Dec 2015
Mosquitos are a problem all year.Most westerners sleep with Mosquito nets on their beds and take malaria medications. Cockroaches are everywhere and houses need to be regularly sprayed with insecticide to keep the population down. - Apr 2014
Nothing too extraordinary. Flies, cockroaches, ants, mosquitos. We spray regularly and are able to keep most out of the house most of the time. When traveling outside the city, anti-malarial medication is highly recommended. - Aug 2011
Flies, mosquitoes, geckoes, ants. - Dec 2009
