What Causes Drain Flies?
- Home Openings Since they are so small, they can often make it through doors, windows, and other openings around your...
- Your Drain Pipe Their destination? Your drain pipe. The flies are attracted to the water and bacteria buildup and set...
- Trapped Sewage
Why are flies coming up through my drains?
These flies are also referred to as:
- Moth flies
- Filter flies
- Sewer flies
How to naturally get rid of drain flies?
- Fill a shallow bowl with apple cider vinegar and a touch of dish soap
- Cover the bowl in a saran wrap and poke holes to allow flies to enter
- Place the bowl near the drain or area with the issue
- Flies should seek out the vinegar but drown in the solution
- Keep the bowl in the area during sanitation portion of the treatment program
What is the best treatment for drain flies?
To make a natural trap to get rid of drain or sewer flies, this is what you should do:
- In a bowl, mix equal quantities of sugar, water, and white vinegar.
- Add 10 drops of liquid dish soap and mix well.
- Place the bowl with the vinegar and sugar mixture next to your infested drain.
- In the morning, you should have some dead drain flies floating in the mixture.
Are drain flies harmful to humans?
In short, no, drain flies are not harmful to humans. Though drain flies consume and live in sewage and bacteria, they are not disease-carrying insects, but In great masses, they can carry the bacteria with them. Overall, they cause no proven harm to your health, even if they…
How do I permanently get rid of drain flies?
How do I permanently get rid of drain flies?Flushing your toilet or drain. ... Boiling water. ... Mix baking soda with Salt and Vinegar. ... Apple Cide Vinegar and Plastic wrap. ... White vinegar, salt, and baking soda. ... Clean out the drain with a metal drain brush. ... Trap them with a combination of water, vinegar, and liquid dish soap.
Where do drain flies keep coming from?
Drain flies do not come up from your pipes or drains, rather they come from outdoors to the drain when they smell the organic matter they need to breed. Drain Flies get into your home through tiny holes. Drain flies are most active in the evening when they congregate around sinks and drains.
What smells keep drain flies away?
Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, and citronella are just a few of the scents that insects despise (with lavender probably being the most effective). Pouring half or an entire cup of such essential oil onto a sponge or rag, then storing it in a small can, helps keep flies at bay.
Can drain flies come from the toilet?
Drain flies breed in the buildup in pipes. While it is less common for them to appear in a toilet, it could be they are entering the bathroom through a faulty seal between the toilet and sewer flange.
Will drain flies go away on their own?
Nine times out of ten, a drain fly problem will go away on its own. Once you get rid of the drain flies that you see, start flushing toilets and running the water in your sinks. This eliminates the standing water in which they dwell.
How long does it take to get rid of drain flies?
The simplest method to clear out your drain fly issue is to pour boiling water carefully down your drain 1-2 times a day for about a week. This will ensure that the flies do not return overnight if the water did not catch all of the organic material built up inside.
Are drain flies more active at night?
Fine hairs on their bodies and wings give drain flies a fuzzy, moth-like appearance (hence why they're often called “moth flies”). Behavior: Drain flies are most active at night. They are weak flyers that make short hopping flights of a few feet when they are disturbed.
Does boiling water get rid of drain flies?
Carefully pour a pot full of boiling water down the drain. The heat will kill the drain flies. If you are afraid the boiling water will crack any surfaces, lower the temperature and use hot water instead. Pour one cup of white vinegar to kill off any remaining eggs that might be clinging to the pipes.
How did I get drain flies?
If these flies are present in the house there is almost certainly a slow or clogged drain. Drain flies gather, mate, and lay eggs in moisture or st...
How serious are drain flies?
These pests are a nuisance because they infest in large numbers. Once inside, drain flies may plug pipes and spread bacteria from the filth they li...
What are the signs of a drain fly infestation?
As with most flies, the most noticeable sign of drain flies are the adults. They typically are seen resting on the walls in bathrooms or near the b...
How to tell if a drain flies are a flies?
As we mentioned, there are several different types of flies you might encounter in your home, so it’s helpful to be able to tell them apart. Drain flies have a fairly distinct appearance, with their fuzzy-looking wings and weak flying. They often exhibit short, hopping bursts of flight and are not very fast in the air.
What are drain flys called?
They are sometimes called moth flies because of their similar physical attributes. Below is a breakdown of the identifying characteristics of the drain fly: Anywhere from 1/16 to ¼ of an inch, with many about ⅙ of an inch. Dark, winged bodies ranging from gray to a dark brownish-black.
Why do drain flies look like moths?
Wings covered in fine hairs (which is why they look similar to moths) What causes drain flies? Drain flies are attracted to standing water and moist decaying organic matter —hence their common name “drain fly.”. Like gnats and mosquitoes, drain flies breed in water.
What type of flies are in my house?
One type of fly that can be particularly pesky is the drain fly. If you’ve ever seen these little insects flying or resting around your kitchen or bathroom sink, you’ve probably wondered what causes them.
How long does it take drain flies to hatch?
Drain flies lay eggs in irregular numbers, laying anywhere from 10 to 200 eggs at one time. After eggs are laid, they hatch in about two days. Then, they spend the next 9 to 15 days in the larval stage feeding and developing before entering the pupal stage for 20 to 40 hours; then, they finally emerge as adults.
How many eggs do drain flies lay?
This is because drain fly larvae feed on muck and the buildup of organic materials. Drain flies lay eggs in irregular numbers, laying anywhere from 10 to 200 eggs at one time.
Can drain flies be found in your house?
However, this may not be the case if you’re dealing with many drain flies. And while it is common to find drain flies after periods of being away from your home, you don’t have to go on vacation to find yourself with these fuzzy little flies. Other areas in and around your home where you may find drain flies include:
What Orkin Does
Generally, the best control for these flies is to remove the breeding site, which is the organic material that collected in the drain. The site must be located and cleaned. Drain cleaner will not fix the situation. Read more about drain flies and bleach.
Appearance
Appendages: These flies have six legs and a pair of wings and antennae.
Habitat
Drain flies are common in moist areas coated with nutrient-laden organic material. As their name implies, they are found in house and storm drains. They can also be found near decaying logs and compost piles.
Life Cycle
Eggs are laid in irregular masses almost anywhere decomposing organic materials are found. Drain fly eggs hatch into white, nearly translucent larvae. These larvae have been known to survive dramatic temperature swings and low oxygen levels. Under favorable conditions, the flies can go through one generation in as little as one week.
1. Home Openings
Since they are so small, they can often make it through doors, windows, and other openings around your home. They’re looking for standing water, similar to other flies and insects.
2. Your Drain Pipe
Their destination? Your drain pipe. The flies are attracted to the water and bacteria buildup and set up camp there. As long as standing water is available, they will be able to reproduce.
3. Trapped Sewage
Trapped waste that is part of a clog in your drain pipe is also what causes drain flies to infiltrate your home. They love sewage and will look to inhabit and reproduce inside your pipe. This is another reason why it’s crucial to deal with clogged drains immediately.
How to Distinguish a Drain Fly
Drain flies look very similar to other types of gnats and can look like fruit flies from far away. But these creatures didn’t come in with your groceries.
Treatment Options
It can be difficult to prevent drain flies completely, but you can reduce the chances of them being attracted to your drains by keeping them clean. This is as simple as refraining from putting clog-inducing items down the drain, like coffee grinds, rice, solid foods, hair, and more.
Comprehensive Drain Cleaning Solutions
Whether drain flies have taken over or you have a tough clog that needs fixing, the team at Aztec Plumbing & Drains can help! Contact our experienced and knowledgeable team today at (239) 232-2012 to get on your way to a clear drain.
What are drain flies called?
Gray or taupe in color with small, rounded wings, they're also called moth flies, sewer flies , or filter flies. And contrary to what their name suggests, they don't actually "fly" as much as they hop from surface to surface.
How long do drain flies live?
Drain flies surprisingly can live for up to three weeks, and new eggs can hatch every 48 hours or so. For these very reasons, you should act fast to eliminate drain flies for good using DIY home solutions or store-bought products.
What are some insects that can be found in your house?
Just like pesky fruit flies, annoying gnats, and even fleas, drain flies are another common household insect that, well, bugs us.
Do drain flies bite?
Are drain flies harmful? Nope! They don't bi te humans or transmit human disease, but they are a sign that your kitchen could use a deep clean, especially if you want to prevent more insects like roaches from joining the party.
What is a drain mite?
Drain Flies or Drain Mites are a very small fly that feed on waste matter within sewers and drains, they can however infest a property given the correct circumstances and no amount of fly spray will halt the infestation unless you can find their point of ingress or their food source and do something about it.
What happens when a soil vent bend breaks?
The most common and probably the most disturbing for the home owner is when you have an internal rest bend at the base of a soil vent pipe or downstairs toilet, the rest bend fractures or becomes displaced and after every flush a certain amount of water and waste escapes into the sub-floor. The matter builds up and the flies have a food source, they will then access the property above through any small gaps between floor boards or gaps local to skirting boards.
Why are restaurants prone to infestation?
Restaurants and industrial kitchens can be prone to this kind of infestation due to the amount of food stuffs that can directly enter the drainage system and the worst case of infestation i have seen was at a hospital . This was partly due to a construction worker leaving a drain open within the building and partly due to the fact ...
Is a domestic drainage system clean?
The vast majority of domestic drainage systems are fairly clean in as much as they are designed to carry waste from one point to another and there should not be any waste sitting in the system, but due to defective pipe work or partial blockages this can happen providing a food source for the pests.
Do drain flies have access to sinks?
However drainage systems are also designed so that no matter what occurs below ground these flies should not have access to your property and sinks, baths, toilets etc are fitted with water traps to prevent smells and pests from leaving the drainage system and entering your home. So if you have an infestation of drain flies within your bathroom ...
Why do I have flies on my drain tape?
Even if you do not find any drain flies on the tape after the first night, you should repeat this process for at least four nights to account for discrepancies in the breeding cycle.
How to get rid of a drain fly?
1. Clean the hair catcher, if applicable. Remove the hair catcher or filter from an affected shower drain and clean it out thoroughly, removing all the hair tangled inside it. The key in destroying the drain fly's breeding ground is removing all hair, grime, and debris that the flies might lay their eggs in.
How to clean a drain with gel cleaner?
Pour a gel drain cleaner into the drain. Apply roughly 4 oz (125 ml) of the cleaner around the edge of the drain. Applying the cleaner to the edge of the drain allows it to coat the sides of the drain and pipe as it glides down. Gel cleaners are formulated to remove organic matter.
How long does it take for drain flies to get out of your house?
While destroying the breeding grounds will prevent the flies from laying more eggs, you'll still have to deal with adult drain flies up to 20 days after you clean the drains. As such, you may want to take extra measures to get rid of as many as possible.
How to keep flies from flying up drain?
Place a strip of clear tape over each drain. Stick the tape over the center of each drain with the sticky side facing down. Do not completely cover the drain with tape. A covered drain will prevent flies from flying up, leaving you with no evidence.
How to stop flies from smelling in a sewage pump?
Use clear silicone caulking to seal all gaps and joints around the pit and piping. The flies will find any space they can to get out of your sewage pump and piping. This will also help with odor. Make sure it is silicone, though, as silicone will not crack.
How do I get rid of flies in my drain?
Vinegar, boiling water, and bleach are traditional remedies for getting rid of drain flies, but many experts insist that these methods are not effective. Baking soda and vinegar poured down the drain may kill the flies; it will clean the drain at least.