Home drains are the spots where water accumulates, and here, you can often see an enormous growth of bacteria and pests.
When stagnant water collects around the drains for a long time, small, moth-like creatures can settle around them. These pests are called drain flies and tend to multiply very fast. You might face an infestation problem within just 48 hours!
However, getting rid of these pests is easy if tackled on time. In today’s guide, we will walk you through everything you need to do to eliminate drain flies effectively.
So, shall we begin?
What Are Drain Flies?
Commonly, drain flies have two household names: sink flies and moth flies. They are small, between 2mm and 5mm, and have distinctive moth-like wings and fuzzy bodies.
Compared to regular house flies and fruit flies, a typical drain fly’s colour is somewhat distinct, varying between pale grey and black. And although they have moth-like wings, they cannot fly a great distance. Drain flies mostly hop from one place to another.
Under optimum conditions, they can survive 24-26 days and lay 300 drain fly eggs every 48 hours. So, unless you stop them in their tracks, they will multiply into thousands within a few days.
Getting Rid Of And Preventing Drain Fly Infestation
Depending on the scale of drain fly infestations you are dealing with at home, you can employ natural methods or use chemicals to combat the pests. You can removedrains using items you can find in your kitchen or under your sink.
Using Natural Methods To Get Rid Of Drain Flies
The simplest and most popular method to kill drain flies is to flush the drains. This method will assist in eliminating the drain fly larvae in the drains, inhibiting the flies’ desire to return.
We have found this to be one of the most effective ways to tackle the problem. That said, it works best only when the infestation is early.
Here are a few natural techniques you can use:
1. Salt, Baking Soda And Vinegar
You can quickly locate all these materials (salt, baking soda, vinegar) in your kitchen for use in kitchen sinks and bathroom drains. All you need to do is create a mix and pour it into the infested drain. This natural cleaning solution will work overnight, and the baking soda will expand and reach every nook and corner of the drain.
For the best results, let the solution work overnight, and in the morning, you can flush the pipe with hot water. This will kill the flies and make it difficult for them to survive and reproduce in the drains.
2. Water, Soap, Sugar And Vinegar
For this method to work, you must add dish soap to a solution of water, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. The resultant solution will be sweet. When the concoction is placed near the drain, it attracts drain flies to the sweet mixture.
Because there’s soap in the mix, once the flies sit in the solution, they will get trapped and won’t be able to fly away.
3. Boiling Water
If you prefer not to mix these substances to eliminate drain flies at home, there’s a simpler strategy to address the drain fly problem. Channel some boiling water down the drain several times daily for approximately a week.
The hot water will help eliminate all the organic material build-up inside the drain, significantly reducing the fly infestation.
4. Duct Tape
Another simple way to tackle the drain fly infestation is to use duct tape. You must purchase a pack of duct tape from the local supermarket, and the rest is pretty simple. Just make sure that the glue on the duct tape is effective. Otherwise, this trick won’t work well.
Once you have the duct tape, seal off your drain every night for a week. The glue on the duct tape will entrap all the flies that try to reach the surface.
Using Chemicals To Get Rid Of Drain Flies
Drain flies mainly reproduce in and around drainage pipes, and you can also use solvents to clean drains to deal effectively with pests. Common chemical drain-clearing solutions work great for this purpose.
Making Use Of Traditional Drain Cleaners
Using common drain cleaning materials like Bio-Clean or Drano eliminates the infestation. You must begin by flushing your drain with hot water and cleaning it with a pipe brush. The idea is to remove all the organic residues from the pipe so there is no possibility of the drain flies breeding.
If you are unsure how to use the chemicals properly, read the package and follow all the instructions. You cannot use all substances on every type of drain, and you should keep that factor in mind.
Eliminating Drain Flies From Your Home
With that, it’s a wrap!
Drain flies propagate when you permit a pool of sewage water to reside for an extended period and enable other organic residues to survive in the pipes, such as in septic tanks. To prevent infestation, you must flush the pipes regularly and ensure that the condition is not optimum for the flies to reproduce.
Keep an eye out, and you will be able to spot early signs of infestation, enabling you to tackle the problem well. If you need assistance from an expert Sydney plumber, please get in touch with our team. Service First Plumbing can provide fast and affordable solutions to your drain fly problems!
For more great plumbing tips, check out our blog on how to fix your squeaky toilet seat!
Until next time, take care!
