This article is about ways to get rid of drain flies. Drain flies are the small black or brown colored insects that are usually found in your kitchen. They are marked by the pattern of veins on the wings. Drain flies are also known as sewer flies, moth flies, and filter flies. They leave smudge when crushed because of the hair present on their body. Drain flies breed in drains, soil contaminated sewer, sewers and septic tanks. If you see drain flies in kitchen then it doesn’t mean that they are coming from the drains alone. You should also look for substances like rotting organic material, grease etc.
Drain flies are not harmful but annoying. As they breed in drains, they might carry some diseases with them but mostly they are harmless. They are irritating and should be avoided since they are found in your kitchen and bring filth with them. Here in this article, we are going to deal with the methods used to get rid of drain flies.
Signs of Drain Fly Infestations
Before knowing the ways to get rid of drain flies it is necessary to find out the infested areas. To find out which areas is drain fly infested, here are two ways.
Spot the Drain Flies: It is one of the simplest ways to identify which areas are infested. You can spot the adult drain flies resting on the walls or crevices. Once you spot an adult drain fly, then find a nearby drain or pipe. In case, if there are multiple drain pipes near the infested areas then you can use the second method to find out the exact breeding source.
Drain Test to Find Out the Infested Areas: Firstly, clean all the drain pipes of the kitchen and bathroom properly. Now, in the evening use a clear tape to cover the drain outlets and pipes in your bathroom and kitchen. The sticky side of the tape should be in the downward direction. Tape the mouth of the drain completely otherwise the drain flies will come out. Leave the drain like this overnight or for one week, if possible. Remove the tape and check if some drain flies are sticking on it. If there are drain flies, then have found out the exact breeding ground. Repeat this method two to three times again to check out the difference in the breeding cycle.
Methods to Get Rid of Drain Flies:
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Drain flies lay eggs every where around their nest in no pattern. They are good at multiplying themselves and go through one generation within a week. Their reproduction means laying of organic matters everywhere around their nest. It becomes necessary to treat them. Here are the methods that are used to get rid of drain flies.
1.) Clean the Drains to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Examine the areas where they breed most. That mean, look for drains and stranded the stranded around the house where they are found the most. Cleans up that place and eliminate the factors that you think can work as a dwelling place for them. They do not run far away from their place so they do not spread easily away from their nest. So it is always better to clean the are where you see them the most.
2.) Close the Doors to Get Rid of Drain Flies
After cleaning the drains, next step is to block their way of infestation. You should close all the doors that open for the infestation of drain flies. It is the best way of getting rid of it. Before going to bed, just dry the drains properly and close them by putting a tape. In this way, you will shut the doors for drain flies. Also, make sure that all the taps are closed tightly and there is no leakage.
3.) Hot Water to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Pour hot water in the drain pipe. It not only cleans up the drain but also eliminates drain the eggs laid by them. You need to pour at least 6 liters of water in the drain. If the drain is in regular use, then it means that it remains moist and you need not do any thing to keep it moist. This method, along with the above mentioned two, can prove to be the best among all.
4.) Remove Blockage to Get Rid of Drain Flies
It is necessary to get rid of blockage in the pipe. What you have to do is remove all the kind of garbage like food, hair etc from the drain and clean it properly. If the drain pipes are blocked then it means stranded water that will give birth to drain flies. Use plunger to clean up the drains remove the remains properly.
5.) Use Sweater to Get Rid of Drain Flies
You are done with the nest, now its time to kill the adult flies. After destroying their nest, if you still see adult flies around your kitchen, use a sweater to kill them. Using sweater is the easiest and the simplest ways of killing the flies. When you kill the adult flies, it makes sure that they no longer lay eggs and their population is restricted. When it comes at killing the drain flies, sweater is best for the purpose. Sweaters are easily available in the market and thus are easily available for you. Sweater can also be used to get rid of flies and mosquitoes as well.
6.) Spray to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Use spray to kill the drain flies. When the sweater is not enough to get rid of flies, then it’s better to go for sprays that work on flies well. Take precautions while applying the spray. Do not just spray. Close all the doors and windows before while praying. When you are done with spraying, open the windows and switch on an electric fan. It will help get rid of drain flies easily, specially the adult ones.
7.) Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) to Get Rid of Drain Flies
It is one of the most easiest ways of getting rid of drain flies. Whenever you are going for any spray, make sure that it contains IGR. Insect growth regulator not only kills the drain flies but also controls their growth rate. Using the spray with IGR has varied benefits. It not only kills the flies, but also prevents the breaking of larvae. It further helps in putting a barrier on their growth.
8.) Dish-Washing Soap to Get Rid of Drain Flies
You can easily get rid of drain flies using the simplest methods available at home. You just have to use the dish washing soap and you will be able to wash these drain flies completely from your house. Spray dish-washing soap that has borax. Borax has the capacity of working against insects and can be used as insecticides. It is easy to use. Just take an empty spray bottle and add a few drops of dish-washing soap. Now add hot water in the bottle and shake it well. Now use it around the house where the fleas are most effective and near the drains as well.
9.) Smoke to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Generate smoke is also one of the most amazing ways of getting rid of drain flies. What you can do is burn some papers for the papers. Make sure that they produce more amount of smoke than the fire. Drain flies do not like the smoke and thus, they will either die or look for a clean and smoke free place. Generate the smoke in the area where you think that the flies are most active.
10.) Trap to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Prepare a homemade trap to get rid of drain flies. When the flies have already infested your house then this remedy is a charm for you. What you have to do is take a bowl and add equal amount of vinegar and water. Also add some sugar and add a few drops of detergent. The sweet smell of the solution prepared will attract the flies towards it and they will get trapped in that.
11.) Apple Cider Vinegar to Kill Drain Flies
This is one of the best remedies to kill drain flies. It is 100% safe especially if you have children around. The drain flies are attracted to the smell of apple cider vinegar. Follow the instructions given below to get rid of drain flies.
- Take one fourth cup of apple cider vinegar in a glass.
- Now, use a plastic wrap to cover the glass.
- Do some holes in the plastic wrap.
- Now, keep this glass near the drain.
- Once the flies are attracted towards the smell they will fly into the jar and drive down.
- Keep changing the apple cider vinegar on a daily basis.
12.) Bleach to Get Rid of Drain Flies
This is another excellent way to get rid of drain flies. It is a simple method and a stronger method than vinegar. The one and only drawback of this method is that it will not scour the pipes. Follow the instructions given below to kill drain flies.
- Mix one part of bleach in 10 parts of water.
- Pour this solution down the drain.
- Leave the solution in the pipe for the next few hours.
- Now, use cold water to flush the pipes.
- Repeat this method on a regular basis to eliminate drain flies.
13.) Gel Drain Cleaner to Eliminate Drain Flies
This is one of the most effective home remedies to eliminate drain flies completely. All you need to do is apply 125ml of the cleaner near and around the edge of the drain pipe. Coat the sides of the pipe and drain with this gel cleaner. These gels are especially formulated to remove organic matter. You need to repeat the dosage of this gel cleaner one daily for about one week to get rid of drain flies completely.
14.) Remove Their Breeding Grounds to Eliminate Drain Flies
One of the best ways to eliminate drain flies is to remove the breeding grounds fully. Firstly, you need to remove and clean the hair catcher. After that take a pipe brush and a plumbing snake from the nearby hardware store. Now, you need to get rid of the ick where the drain flies mostly lays eggs. Clean the sides of the pipe with a pipe brush. Now, use the snake to pull out the clumps of hair and other nasty things. Though this method will take time but the results are just worth it.
15.) Combination of Vinegar, Baking Soda and Boiling Water
This is one of the excellent methods to kill drain flies completely. The combination is wonderful to keep the flies away. It will be a perfect way to get squeaky clean drains. The vinegar when reacts with baking soda creates bubbles and fizz. This loosens the build-up in the drain pipe and also kills the eggs hidden in the pipes. On the other hand, the boiling water will draw the material down the drain. Follow the instructions given below to eliminate drain flies.
- Pour half cup of baking soda in the drain pipe.
- Now, slowly pour down one cup of vinegar in the pipe.
- This will create bubble and fizz due to which this mixture will come out of the drain.
- But, don’t worry; most of it will remain in the drain.
- Leave the drain pipe like that for the next 1 hour.
- Pour down one pot of boiling water down the drain.
- Repeat this method on a daily basis to get rid of drain flies completely.
16.) Invade Bio Drain Gel to Kill Drain Flies
This is one of the wonderful home remedies to kill drain flies. This natural probiotics is perfect for shower drains because it has no harmful chemicals and bad odor. If you use products that contain bleach or any harmful substance, then it can turn toxic when the shower will heat up. Bio drain gel contains citrus oil and microbes that helps to break down the material build-up in the drains and at the same time kills the drain flies. It also works effectively for kitchen and bathroom sinks. It is a perfect choice if you have multiple shower drains.
17.) Fastflow 3-in-1 Solution to Get Rid of Drain Flies
This is one of the best solutions to get rid of drain flies in septic tank. One of the perfect breeding places for drain flies is septic tank. This product is especially designed for drain flies breeding in septic tanks. This product is a perfect drain fly killer and a septic maintainer. Fastflow contains bacteria and surfactants that help to break down the grease that clogs the septic system and increases the drain flies. This solution cleans the drain pipes and kills the flies. This solution kills the drain flies completely and prevents them from coming back.
18.) Shoo Fly Professional Drain and Grease Trap to Kill Drain Flies
This is another professional formula to get rid of drain flies completely. It is a perfect way to keep the grease traps and drain flies clean and free from flies. This product helps to remove the grease from cracks, crevices and other underneath heavy equipments. Shoo Fly contains bacillus bacteria helps to break the fatty acids that are responsible for causing the grease build-up. The best thing is that this product is non-toxic and biodegradable. It is an excellent choice to get rid of drain flies from commercial restaurants.
Other Useful Tips to Get Rid of Drain Flies:
We discussed different methods that can be used to get rid of flies. Now, it’s time to learn about some of the methods that you can follow to mark their future infestation. Here are some tips that you can follow to keep drain flies away. Just go through the tips given below and you get rid of drain flies infestation.
- Always keep the drains clean and dry.
- Keep a check on any disorder in the drain.
- Make sure that you drain pipes are always cleaned up with special measures.
- Keep an eye on the blockage in the pipe.
- Do not allow the water to accumulate near the drains.