How To Get Rid Of Drain Flies

How to get rid of drain flies

Many kinds of small flies from different genera in the insect family Psychodidae go by the general term “drain fly.” Clogmia albipunctata, often known as the typical drain fly or the moth fly, is the most prevalent species. The wings of the mature flies are an inch long and an eighth of an inch wide. Their body color ranges from dark gray to black. Long and curved antennae are present. This little fly also called filter flies, sink flies, and sewer gnats are frequently confused with the fruit fly. Although it normally does no real harm, it is unquestionably annoying when it manifests in large quantities.

Drain Flies

C. Albipunctata flies are widespread around the world and are usually seen near residential drains, where they eat the rotting organic matter that collects in the pipes. Flies can also breed in other indoor locations with damp, decomposing organic matter. Drain flies may also be discovered in gloomy, marshy areas outside where there is a lot of organic matter that has decomposed and standing water.

Where Does Drain Flies Come From

Finding and removing the drain flies’ water and food sources is the key to preventing them from getting into your house. You can accomplish this by setting up easy-to-set traps utilizing an insect adhesive board or a plastic cup.

When using the plastic cup technique, lightly cover the interior of the cup with petroleum jelly or vegetable oil before inverting it over the drain where you think flies may reside. Check on it every day while leaving the cup in that spot for several days. Flies will start to gather on the inner surface of the cup if there are any residing in the drain.

Making a cardboard frame to hold a glue board over a drain where you think drain flies might reside is another option. Place an upside-down insect glue board on the frame. Check the board every day while leaving it in place for a few days. Most likely, flies coming out of the drain will stick to the adhesive board.

Whichever style of trap you choose, be sure to inspect it often. Set the trap to some other potential location if no flies are found there after several days. Take your hunt to the outside and look for any regions with moisture and rotting material if you are unable to discover a supply inside the house.

Different Ways To Get Rid Of Drain Flies

Once the source of the flies has been identified, you can get rid of the pests by removing or cleaning the source. However, to entirely resolve a drain fly issue, may take persistent, continuous work.

Clean and Repair Your Drains

Ensure that the sinks, drains, and drain pipes in your home are well-cleaned. Pour boiling water down the drain to clear away any remaining muck after using a long, hard brush to clean down into the drains.

clean the drains

Your drains will be sanitized after you scrub them with a good all-natural rinse composed of baking soda and vinegar. Pour a combination of 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup salt down the drain. Pour 1 cup of pure white vinegar down the drain to get the baking soda and vinegar to froth. To kill any residual larvae, let the combination work all night. Pour some really hot water into the drain in the morning to flush out any lingering fly larvae.

Various compostable drainage gels and liquids are also available that will properly clean the pipes and get rid of the drain fly breeding grounds. However, try to stay away from utilizing chemical cleaners.

Replace all leaking drain traps and other drain pipes you come across because the dripping water could attract flies to the bottom of cabinets or into wall cavities.

Clean Your Indoor Trash Cans and Recycling Areas 

Before cleaning the waste and recycling containers themselves with hot, soapy water, remove any organic matter from the floors and walls surrounding the containers. Before reusing these containers, thoroughly dry them. Drain flies won’t be attracted to clean, dry containers.

Clean the trash cans

Keep the Drain Floor Clean and Dry

Floor drains frequently gather stagnant water in the drain traps, which serve as perfect breeding grounds for drain flies. After thoroughly cleaning floor drains with a sharp brush and hot water, rinse them with a solution of baking soda and vinegar.

Inspect sump pump pits as well because drain flies may breed there. Verify that the pump is completely draining the sump pits.

keep the drain floor dry and clean

Get Rid of the Stagnant Water

Remove any other pools of water or damp spots, like the wet lint in your laundry room, water that has accumulated in a refrigerator’s drain pan, or damp spots near houseplants. Drain flies are drawn to regions where dampness or water is let to accumulate stagnantly, particularly if there is organic matter nearby.

Get rid of stagnant water

Look for Other Sources Outdoors

If drain flies are a concern outdoors, you should carefully clean and dry any filthy birdbaths, rain barrels, trash cans, moist compost bins, dog kennels, and every other spot in which there is stagnant water as well as organic material. Eliminate water puddles and stagnant areas as much as you can since drain flies would lay their eggs there.

Cause of Having Drain Flies

Wherever there is moisture and organic matter in decay, drain flies could be an issue. These flies thrive in particular in floor drains and fixture drains, particularly those that aren’t frequently flushed away. However, drain flies can grow everywhere that surroundings are to their comfort. When they hatch from eggs, adult breeding drain flies were attracted naturally to moist places with sources of decomposing organic matter.

How to Avoid Having Drain Flies

Maintaining a dry, spotless home is the best defense against drain flies. Pay close attention to gloomy spaces since they tend to collect damp, decomposing organic debris.

avoid having drain flies

Is it a Drain Fly or a Fruit Fly

Since both drain flies and fruit flies are incredibly tiny insects with distinguishing characteristics that are only visible under magnification, they frequently get confused with one another. However, the majority of fruit flies have hairless bodies and wings as well as vivid red eyes. Fruit flies are only present in and around overripe and rotting fruits and vegetables. Whereas drain flies like the dark, they fly around in the open during the day.

Fruit flies are frequently seen flying around by themselves, whereas drain flies are typically seen in small swarms, almost always near drains or other areas where there is stagnant foul-smelling water. Fruit flies are usually always in flight, but drain flies are often poor flyers and are frequently found resting.

How Long Does it Take to Get Rid of Drain Flies

Within a week, diligent treatment will eliminate drain flies. Large infestations could require up to a month to clear. If you think that you cannot handle the infestation yourself, better call for professional help.

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