FAQs about Drain Flies

Sometimes the most innocent looking pests can be the most problematic. With their small size and fuzzy wings, these flies are often mistaken for small moths, but drain flies can cause huge problems in household or commercial drains as well as increase health risks in asthmatics. Making their homes in shallow standing water or in moist corners, the drain fly is difficult to detect at first thanks to its size and non-menacing appearance. Creeping into kitchen, bathroom and outdoor drains and pipes to reproduce creates a huge nuisance for humans; flushing out drains and getting rid of standing water are just a few of the procedures necessary to eradicate drain flies from your home.

Drain Flies Habitat

Some of the most common areas to find drain flies in your home are:

• Kitchen drains, especially if no garbage disposal is present
• Bathroom sinks – most people don’t clean drains unless they become clogged
• Showers/Bathtubs – make sure to let shower curtain dry completely in between uses and clean drain often
• Unused or stagnant pipes that have been shut off for a period of time

Indoor Houseplants:

One of the most frustrating aspects of the drain fly is their size; even as a full-grown adult, the drain fly is able to squeeze through the small holes in screen doors and cracks throughout your home or commercial buildings. Sewer lines under buildings are also a major habitat for drain flies; the waste products and decay make it a perfect nesting ground for newly hatched larvae. Feeding on decaying food or human waste makes the drain fly a possible carrier of serious diseases into homes.

See http://www.pestnet.com/flies/drain-flies/#life-cycle-of-the-drain-fly for detailed information.

How to Eliminate Drain Flies

You can search the web for many different ways to get rid of drain flies.  Based on experience, the best way is to use everyday household ingredients for a natural control of these pests.  Here is the method using salt, baking soda, and white vinegar:

First, clean your drains thoroughly – get rid of all the black gunk by using the new zipit tool available at local stores or any device that gets out the big chunks.  Then mix a 5 to 1 water/bleach solution and flush the drains, followed by copious amounts of boiling water – at least 4 cups.  Then the next day, start by dumping 1/2 cup of salt down the drain.  Then dump 1/2 cup of baking soda down on top of it.  Follow that with 1 cup of plain white vinegar and let the fun begin!  Allow all of this to set overnight and flush it all down with at least 2 cups of boiling water in the morning.  To prevent future infestations, clean your drains often with this same solution.