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Drain flies, also known as moth flies and sewer gnats, really look a lot like moths. They are even dusty and hard-of-flying like moths. But drain flies are actually flies. Although they may be "cute", if you've seen one drain fly, there is a huge chance that a few hundred more drain flies are either close by or they will be shortly. Drain flies are very commonly mistaken for fruit flies. Both are small, hang out in groups, and pester people endlessly.
Drain flies, when they are in the house, most commonly lay their eggs in the organic matter that builds up in your drain pipes such as hair, grease, food, sludge, etc. When the 10 – 200 drain fly eggs hatch, most times within 48 hours, the drain fly larvae live in and eat that organic matter for somewhere between 9 and 15 days before emerging as adults. Adult drain flies are most active in the evening. During the day, drain flies spend most of their time hanging out on walls and other flat surfaces, which makes them very easy to kill. A drain fly leaves a powdery stain on the wall that it's been killed on so you will need to wipe the residue up. Adult drain flies usually live for close to two weeks. Do not think that your drain fly problem is gone just because the adults have died off or you've killed them all.
If measures are not taken to get rid of drain fly larvae and drain fly breeding grounds, you will never be rid of them.
How to Kill Drain Flies in the Drain |
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Buy Scotch Tape to cover drains to test presence of drain flies |
First, find out where the drain flies are coming from. This is usually pretty easy. If you see a drain fly, there's a good chance that they're coming from the nearest drain. To find out for sure, grab a piece of tape, lay it sticky side down covering about ¾ of the drain in question, and continue checking it for the next few days. If they are coming from that drain, there should be flies stuck to the tape. |
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Buy Pipe Snake to clear pipes of organic matter that drain flies breed in. |
Remove the breeding grounds of the drain flies. First, remove and clean the hair catcher if you use one. Then, buy a pipe brush and a plumbing snake and get to work. Your main goal is to remove material from the drains in your home so that the drain flies have nothing to lay eggs in. Use the pipe brush to do what you can to clean the sides of the pipe off. Then, use the snake to pull out any clumps of hair or anything else you can get to. Do a thorough job. You can expect to get dirty because it tends to be a messy job cleaning out drains. |
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Buy Drain Cleaner to fully clear drains of material that drain flies live and breed in. |
Buy a drain cleaner. It will be very difficult for you, even with the snake, to get all of the organic matter out of your pipes. This is why you should buy a bottle or two of drain cleaner. This should get most of the rest of the gunk out of your pipes. Follow the instructions on the packaging carefully and allow the stuff to work for the maximum amount of time. You may need to use the drain cleaner several times to get all of the gunk out of the drain. |
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Buy a Plunger to further clear drains of matter that drain flies live and breed in. |
Now you need to do some plunging. You need to do everything you can to get every last bit of organic matter out of the drain. First, before plunging, run lots and lots of water down the drain to make sure that you've flushed down all of the drain cleaner. You don't want to get splattered with any caustic chemicals while you are plunging the drain. Run some water and plunge the drain for several minutes. When you're done plunging pour a huge pot full of boiling water down the drain. Be careful not to burn yourself! |
| Do some basic maintenance to avoid recurrence. The most important thing you can do is to clean your drains at least once a month. I know it sounds tedious, but you should really do it. Also, if you have a garbage disposal, run it briefly every day. Take your garbage out on a regular basis and keep the can clean. Keep the kitchen clean, too. Don't risk leaving food on plates for long periods of time. Check the water trays under house plants and drain them after watering plants. Patch holes in window screens, and don't leave the doors open. Re-grout tiles in the shower and on the floor. Keep the caulking around the drain clean, as they like to lay eggs there, too. Make sure there isn't any wet lint under the washer. | |
Our Recommended Drain Fly Repellent Products:
3M Scotch 50.8mm x 20.3m Clear Packaging Tape with Dispenser, 6 CountCover drains halfway with tape to see if drain flies are living in there. If you see drain flies stuck on the tape, then you know that they are living in that drain. Next, you want to clean that drain with drain cleaner. |
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25 Ft Snake (Drain Unclogger)Use the pipe snake to clean drains of organic material that drain flies love to breed in. |
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Liquid-Plumr Gel Drain Cleaner, Heavy-Duty, 80 oz. – Qty-2
Use drain cleaner to flush drains and get rid of drain fly breeding grounds.
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Toilet Plunger, rubber with 19'' wood handleUse a plunger to get every last bit of organic matter out of the drains where drain flies love to breed and multiply. Be sure to run water down the drain for several minutes before you begin plunging. |
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