How often should you fumigate your home in Nigeria?

In Nigeria's warm, humid climate, pests breed all year round. A one-off fumigation when you move in is not enough; the question is how often to repeat it. The honest answer depends on the property, but there are sensible rules of thumb.

A realistic schedule

• Every 3 months for most family homes, especially where there are children, pets or a kitchen that is used heavily.
• Every 2 months for ground-floor flats, homes near drains or bush, and anywhere you have already had a rodent or cockroach problem.
• Every 6 months for upper-floor flats with good screens and no history of infestation.

Restaurants, shops that handle food and offices with kitchens should be on a monthly or six-weekly programme, because a single sighting by a customer costs more than a year of treatment.

Signs you should not wait for the next date

• Droppings in cupboards, behind the fridge or along skirting boards.
• Cockroaches seen in daylight. If you see them during the day, the population is already large.
• A musty or oily smell in enclosed spaces.
• Gnaw marks on food packaging, wiring or wooden fittings.
• Termite mud tubes on walls or hollow-sounding wood.

What a proper fumigation visit includes

A good service is more than someone spraying for ten minutes. Expect a walk-through to find entry points and nesting areas, treatment of the right places (not just the open floor), advice on what to seal or fix, and clear instructions on how long to stay out of the rooms and when it is safe for children and pets to return.

Between visits

Keep bins covered and emptied daily, wipe kitchen surfaces at night, fix dripping taps, and store dry food in sealed containers. Pest control works far better in a clean house, which is why we often pair a deep clean with the first treatment.

If you are in Benin City, Lagos, Abuja or Port Harcourt and want a schedule set up for your home or office, send us a message on WhatsApp and we will tell you what makes sense for your property.