Drain Fly Facts & Information

Your drains are open and ready to build up the organic matter drain flies love. So keeping them out is difficult. If you’ve started to spot these tiny moth-like flies around your home, you may not immediately realize you have an infestation growing in your pipes. There are a few sure ways to check if more drain flies are living and breeding in your pipes. Drain flies frequently lay eggs in the organic material that builds up right at the opening of your drain. Remove the drain cover, scrape some of the slime off the sides, and look for thin, tube-like, drain-fly larvae. If you don’t spot any here but are certain you have an infestation, this could be a sign that the eggs are being laid deeper within your pipes. You can pour boiling water carefully down your drain 1-2 times a day for about a week to get rid of the drain flies that are already there. This will ensure that the flies do not return overnight if the water did not catch all of the organic material built up inside.

Drain flies are not known to transmit human pathogens. Even so, they live in drains and sewers so wherever they land, they are picking up bacteria. They prefer unsanitary conditions so taking care of that source can take care of the drain fly infestation. Once inside your drain, they can plug pipes and spread bacteria to food or food surfaces. They are not strong fliers but can be blown into your home or business by the wind. Keeping them out may be difficult but our bioremediation strategies can help with drain fly control in businesses with floor drains. Drain fly treatment at home is based on sanitation strategies and education. Either way, we can help.

Control varies with the origin of the moth fly infestation. The most economical and sanitary way is to remove the organic material in which they breed. This requires cleaning sinks, drain pipes, and traps with a stiff wire brush or by steam. Several new products are now available that contain either bacteria or enzymes which breakdown the gelatinous scum in drains. They are applied as either a pour around the drain lip or injected as foam. Most pest management companies provide this as a service. To determine which drain is infested, place a jar over the outlet or tape a plastic bag over the opening of the overflow outlet. Check the container at intervals for adult flies.

Drain flies look for pools of sitting water containing sewage and other organic material. Preventing drain fly infestations requires clean pipes that are frequently flushed out either with water, or in more extreme cases, cleaning solutions on a regular basis. If you have a drain that frequently goes days or weeks without use, close it up with a stopper so that drain flies cannot find a home there in the meantime. In addition to pouring boiling water down the drain (carefully!), you can also try a combination of baking soda, salt, and vinegar. This go-to mixture of pantry items creates a natural cleaning solution. Pour it down your drain and let is sit overnight. The baking soda expands with the vinegar, reaching more areas than the boiling water. After letting the solution sit until the morning, flush out the pipe with boiling water.

We’re passionate about controlling flies in your home or business because we live and work here – it’s our neighborhood, too. With our almost 100 years of experience keeping homes and businesses in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania safe from pests, Western has the experience you can trust.