How To Get Rid Of Drain Flies (2024)

Often mistaken for fruit flies, drain flies tend to hover around sinks, bathtubs, showers, refrigerator drain pans or anywhere there is stagnant, standing water. They are ⅙ to ⅕ long, light gray or tan with two wings, have six legs and look like tiny moths. They enter homes through drains, windows or the basem*nt.

What Do Drain Fly Eggs Look Like?

Drain fly eggs look brown or cream-colored and can hatch within 32 to 48 hours. Female drain flies lay their eggs in wet, organic matter such as found in drain traps and garbage disposals. They can lay between 30 to 100 eggs and their larvae and pupae exist inside the slime layer in your drain.

Once hatched, pale white larvae will feed on organic material within the drain. Drain fly eggs can mature to adults in seven to 28 days.

Where Are Drain Flies Usually Found?

Drain flies can be found in any state and are mostly found near contaminated water. Drain flies can be found in kitchens, bathrooms and basem*nts. Drain flies can be found in sewers, piles of compost and damp leaves, grass and decaying trees.

There’s several ways to get rid of drain flies and typically one or more of these approaches works:

Boiling Water

Boil some water on the stove and pour down your drain several times a day for about a week.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Mix 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and a little bit of dishwashing detergent in a bowl and leave it by the drain. Drain flies will be drawn to it and sink and die.

Snake Out the Debris

A plumbing snake or a drain clog remover can cut through all that dirty matter and debris inside the pipe.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

Mix 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar and then pour the mixture down the drain, leaving it overnight. In the morning, pour boiling hot water down the drain.

If a drain fly infestation lasts longer than 20 days despite different approaches to get rid of them, then it’s time to call a professional exterminator.

Drain flies don’t have to be a problem in your home. Proper maintenance and cleanliness can go a long way, such as keeping your toilets, sinks, bathtubs, shower and floor drains clean. Get rid of any rotting fruit or produce quickly, keep the dumpster away from the home, fix any leaks, take care of any standing water and mold and place fans at entry points.

Drain flies can become a headache once they take over your home since their populations can expand quickly and they quickly become harder to control and exterminate. Here’s some important facts to know about these pestersome insects:

Habits

Drain flies are weak fliers and don’t like to fly long distances and are typically found on the walls of the bathrooms to basem*nts and anywhere there are sewer drains and plumbing fixtures. They normally stay near drains. Drain flies do most of their activity during the evening hours and can be seen around your drains and sinks. They tend to be drawn to lights and windows too.

Environment

Drain flies are typically found in wet or moist areas with organic material, such as storm drains, compost piles or even old logs. They live on flower nectar, sewage and polluted water.

Threats

Drain flies don’t bite or sting people and they don’t harbor disease but their old decaying bodies can cause some people to have allergic reactions. But they can be a threat to your pipes by plugging them and spreading bacteria from whatever they touch.