Workers spray bug killer at Matererini Flats in Mbare after bedbugs spread through many homes. Harare City sent pest teams early Monday morning, April 7, 2025, because people living there asked for help. The city plans to check how well the spraying works and tell everyone about any changes. People who live there need to clean their homes often and throw away trash properly to keep bugs away.
Harare City found many bedbugs, called tsikidzi by locals, in the packed area of Mbare. They quickly sent teams to look at the problem and gather what they needed to fix it. Stanley Gama runs communications for Harare City. He said they know for sure bedbugs live in Mbare homes. His teams had already started spraying the places where bugs hid.
The first buildings they will clean include Matererini and Matapi Flats in Mbare. These are some of the oldest and most crowded living spaces around. Mr. Gama explained that bugs come back because too many people pack into small spaces, dirt builds up, and trash sits around too long. He asked everyone who lives there to help the spray teams when they arrive early each day.
Besides killing bugs with spray, the city plans to teach people about what causes bedbugs and how to stop them from coming back. This matters most in places where lots of people live close together. The lessons will show simple ways families can make their homes less friendly to pests. Clean sheets, careful checks of used furniture, and fast reporting when someone sees a bug all help keep the problem small.
Bedbugs cause itchy bites and make sleeping hard for many families. The tiny pests hide in beds, couches, and cracks during daylight hours and come out at night to feed on blood. Heat treatment, special cleaners, and careful washing help remove bedbugs from homes. Anyone who thinks they might have bedbugs should tell building managers right away. Early action stops big problems before they spread through entire buildings.
Harare City found many bedbugs, called tsikidzi by locals, in the packed area of Mbare. They quickly sent teams to look at the problem and gather what they needed to fix it. Stanley Gama runs communications for Harare City. He said they know for sure bedbugs live in Mbare homes. His teams had already started spraying the places where bugs hid.
The first buildings they will clean include Matererini and Matapi Flats in Mbare. These are some of the oldest and most crowded living spaces around. Mr. Gama explained that bugs come back because too many people pack into small spaces, dirt builds up, and trash sits around too long. He asked everyone who lives there to help the spray teams when they arrive early each day.
Besides killing bugs with spray, the city plans to teach people about what causes bedbugs and how to stop them from coming back. This matters most in places where lots of people live close together. The lessons will show simple ways families can make their homes less friendly to pests. Clean sheets, careful checks of used furniture, and fast reporting when someone sees a bug all help keep the problem small.
Bedbugs cause itchy bites and make sleeping hard for many families. The tiny pests hide in beds, couches, and cracks during daylight hours and come out at night to feed on blood. Heat treatment, special cleaners, and careful washing help remove bedbugs from homes. Anyone who thinks they might have bedbugs should tell building managers right away. Early action stops big problems before they spread through entire buildings.
