Content:
- How Do You Identify If You Have Drain Flies in Your House?
- Are Fruit Flies Harmful?
- Why Would Drain Flies Invade Your House?
- Natural Methods of Eliminating Drain Flies
- How to Eliminate Drain Flies Using Chemical Methods
- How Can You Prevent Drain Flies from Getting into Your Drains
- FAQ
- Final Thoughts
Like rodents and pests, drain flies are uninvited guests into the human environment. It is essential to take action whenever you notice any insect in your home because most are highly destructive.
More so, most insects reproduce rapidly, overcrowding your home and causing discomfort. Accumulated insects can also be an embarrassment for you when your friends and family visit.
Moreover, drain flies can be the worst agents of diseases like typhoid, cholera, and worms. Keeping them away from your premises is a step away from such diseases.
But, what are drain flies? Where do they come from? What do they feed on? What actions can you take to get rid of drain flies?
Continue reading this article to get information on how to identify and get rid of stubborn fruit flies.
Like fleas, cockroaches, gnats, and pesky fruit flies, drain flies are familiar household visitors that bug humans. Drain flies enjoy crowding around stagnant waters, dumpsites, and rotten fruits and vegetables. Drain flies, also called fruit flies, are gray have rounded wings but like hopping from one surface to another instead of flying.
Depending on where one comes from, drain flies are known by different names, such as moth flies, filter flies, sewer flies, and fruit flies.
Drain flies have a lifespan of up to three weeks while they lay eggs that hatch in 48 hours. Therefore, you should learn how to get rid of fruit flies for good using store-bought products or DIY homemade solutions.
Your home drains may be prime spots for standing water, accumulated bacteria, mainly when they stay unused for an extended period. If you notice an increase in moth-like flies hanging around your home showers, bathtubs, and sinks, there are high chances that you have an infestation of drain flies.
You can choose to eliminate these creatures as early as you notice an infestation. The following are two common and sure ways to check if you have fruit flies in your home.
How Do You Identify If You Have Drain Flies in Your House?
Overnight Tape Test
Drain flies are very mobile insects hopping from one surface to another to find food. If you see one fruit fly in your house, the chances are that there is much more hiding in corners and other dark areas.
An overnight test can help you confirm if you have the little beasts in your house. Place sticky tapes over the drains and sinks. Ensure that the sticky side faces down to the drain or sink.
Fruit flies will stick on the tapes as they try to escape from the drains and sinks. You’re likely to meet several of them on the tape if they have already invaded your premises.
Check for Larvae
As mentioned earlier, drain flies reproduce rapidly as they lay millions of eggs that hatch within 48 hours, becoming larvae. If you have fruit flies in your home, you are likely to their eggs in organic materials building up at the drain’s opening.
To check for larvae, you should remove the drain cover then scrape part of the slime off the drain cover’s side. You may notice some little and tube-like drain-fly eggs or larvae.
If you do not notice the eggs at the side of the drain, but you’re sure of an infestation, the chances are that the flies lay eggs deeper inside the drain.
Are Fruit Flies Harmful?
Not really! Drain flies may not necessarily transmit diseases to humans. Also, the flies do not bite people. However, they can be agents of diseases primarily when they feed on infected areas then step on your kitchenware.
Further, having drain flies in your house signifies some levels of uncleanliness. It can help if you take action to eliminate flies or risk other insects like cockroaches and houseflies joining the party.
Drain flies can be costly to clear if they are left to reproduce and spread since their population increases exceptionally first. The crowding flies build nests inside your drain pipes and may cause blockage.
It is advisable to check your drain pipes and covers to ensure that these tiny creatures do not invade you.
Why Would Drain Flies Invade Your House?
Fruit flies enjoy dumpy places with moisture, shallow and stagnant water, organic debris, as well as food remains and dumpsites. You are likely to find them congregating around drains, sinks, and showers.
Drain flies will avoid frequently used places favoring abandoned and quiet areas such as workshop sinks and basement drains. They mostly invade your home when you are away for some time, like on vacation.
When the population is high, the notorious flies may pop up in clean areas like the kitchen and dining room.
How to Get Rid of Drain Flies?
Unlike most other pest and insect infestations, learning how to eliminate drain flies from your home can be really quick and straightforward. You only require a little diligence, and your home can be a fly-free zone.
You can use pantry items or basic products to kick the little creatures out of your drains. More so, you may need to create a plan for the elimination to succeed.
Depending on the drain fly infestation level in your drain, you may opt for chemical or natural methods to get rid of the flies.
In most cases, you can depend on things already in your kitchen to finish the task. You may also opt to contact professionals for more help if you think it’s necessary.
Natural Methods of Eliminating Drain Flies
When carefully done, simple ways can help you flush both drain flies and larvae and confiscate any temptation of the flies returning. The following methods can work as both management and preventive techniques when you have an infestation.
Boiling Water
Using boiled water may be the simplest and cheapest method to eliminate any drain fly challenge. Pour sufficient boiled/boiling water slowly and cautiously down the drain twice a day for seven days.
Boiling water kills all the flies and larvae in the drain and washes them out. Repeating this method multiple times ensures that all the flies get washed out, whether present during the first attempt or the last.
Salt + Baking Soda + Vinegar
A combination of these three pantry products can create a natural method of clearing out drain flies. Pour the mixture down the drain before going to bed daily for seven days.
Ensure the mixture stays in the drain overnight. The baking soda expands together with salt and vinegar, reaching as many drain areas as possible. Pour boiling water in the morning to flush out all the content in the drain.
Water + Soap + Vinegar + Sugar
Put 3-5 spoonful of soap and sugar into a bowl of water. Add 5 drops of cider vinegar and stir. Place the bowl near the drain and let it sit for three days. The sweetness of the solution will attract the flies to the bowl. The thickness of the soap will get them trapped in the solution.
Plastic Wrap + Vinegar
Fill a bowl or mug with vinegar and cover it with plastic wraps. Punch several small holes on the plastic wraps to allow drain flies into the bowl. Ensure the holes are carefully punched not to allow the flies out once they get inside the bowl.
Drain + Duct Tape
You may use the overnight tape test to eradicate some of the drain flies from your drain. Make as many tape tests as possible to catch more flies.
How to Eliminate Drain Flies Using Chemical Methods
Typically, most drain flies inhabit in and around drainage pipes. You can use chemically-made cleaners to get rid of the flies. Be keen to always read the instructions for use for every chemical you use. More so, avoid mixing chemical cleaners with natural (homemade) products.
The following are some of the chemical methods you can use to eliminate drain flies from your pipes.
- Traditional Drain Cleaners
Begin the process by flushing your drain with boiling water, then pass a metallic brush pipe. Use chemical products such as Bio-clean and Drano to remove the remaining particles in your drain.
Ensure caution and follow the instructions as indicated in the chemical packets. Do not assume anything that you may find unclear in the instructions.
- Chemical Repellents and Sprays
Most pest, rodent, and insect-controlling chemicals can be used on drain flies, particularly if the flies are listed on the chemicals’ labels.
Keep all pesticides and insect-killing chemicals away from children. Do not hide them inside or around your kitchen.
Wash your hands or the entire body when you finish using the chemicals.
Since many of these contain caustic chemicals, pay attention to the potential damage to your drains, and try to keep them out of the kitchen area.
Some of the most common chemical sprays and repellants for eliminating drain flies include the following:
- Natural Armour: This gel-based chemical can be ideal for pipes that may require an expansive flush to wash away additional flies and nests.
- Greem Gobbler: it is a popular fly and pest killer. This chemical is safe to use down the drains, garbage disposals, and septic systems.
- American BioSystems: this method is highly recommended for commercially utilized drains. It is among the best method of cleaning bacteria and flies in the drains. It can be ideal for clearing and preventing fruit fly infestation.
How Can You Prevent Drain Flies from Getting into Your Drains?
Drain flies typically enjoy congesting around stagnant water bodies, especially with organic materials like sewage. Therefore, you need to maintain a high level of cleanliness in your drains to keep away drain flies.
Embrace a habit of washing your drains with boiling water at least twice a week. You may also contact a cleaning company to help you if you do not have enough time to take the job yourself.
Close your drains that usually go for weeks without being used. Only let the in-use drain remain open.
Drain all standing water outside the drain or any other area within your compound. Ensure wet and dirty mops are hung to dry. Do not let them sit in buckets of water for hours. You should clean your septic system regularly and thoroughly. Take action immediately you notice a single drain fly around your home. Ensure you do not give fruit flies a chance to multiply and cause chaos. You can best control them when they are few and have not laid eggs.
FAQs
Q. Which are the leading causes of drain flies in drains?
A. Standing water bodies such as drainages and pipes attract fruit flies. The insects like feeding on sewage and other organic matter that are left open and unattended. Falling, overripen, and decaying fruits and vegetables can also attract fruit flies.
Q. How long can one take to get rid of drain flies?
A. One week is sufficient to get rid of drain flies for good. However, you should ensure consistent treatment and cleaning of all pipes, drains, and sinks. More so, you can opt to consult a pest control company for rapid assistance.
Q. Can pesticides kill drain flies?
A. Yes! However, not all pesticides can offer you the service you need. You should read the instructions on the package before using any chemical. Moreover, be careful when using any chemical product to kill drain flies.
Q. Can drain flies go away on their own?
No! drain flies cannot get out of your drain if you let them continue feeding on there and reproducing. They can only go away if you deny them food and shelter. Therefore, drain away all standing water pools, clean your pipes and sinks, and use pest control repellants to keep the flies away.
Final Thoughts
Drain flies may not be harmful to humans, but the idea of seeing them congesting and congregating around sinks and kitchen areas is maybe awful to you.
There are several natural and chemical methods that you can adopt to flush them out of your drains.
More so, you can prevent drain flies from getting into your home using home remedies.
Always take action whenever you notice the first drain fly and consult professionals if you discover an infestation of drain flies.
