Drain Flies - How to Get Rid of Them

Drain flies are tiny gnats which congregate around your kitchen, sink, bathroom or rather any moist area which has stagnant water and slime for over a week. Also known as moths or sewer flies, you can find these insects primarily hovering over drains, pipes and compost or garbage bins. Here is a comprehensive study on drain flies, how to get rid of them and the preventive measures for drain flies control.

What are Drain flies?
Drain flies which persist for several days in your bathroom and sink or even increase in number usually have a breeding ground nearby where they can lay their eggs in order to multiply. They lay around thousands of eggs at a time in areas where there is moisture. These eggs are deposited into the thin lining in the drains of your bathtub or sink. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae quickly mature into adults in approximately 15 days. These gnats usually congregate around area that include the sink and the shower, towards the evening, where upon they feed on moist organic material, found in these areas. The average life span of drain flies is around one to three weeks.

Although these flies do not sting or bite , they can be a nuisance all the same. So one day you have a nice clear bathroom and the very next day you are taken unaware by your walls littered with these little pests. In addition to that these drain flies can transmit disease causing organisms and bacteria to humans, thus making them a significant health concern. It is also known that people affected with weak respiratory systems, particularly those with bronchial asthma can be affected by these drain flies.

Sources of Drain Flies
Drain flies can thrive in any place which has stagnant water and consistent moisture for over a week. The ideal hot spots for drain flies in homes are often in areas where there is an abundant supply of slime. Thus you may find drain flies in drains, bathtubs, damp basements and garages, water tanks, bathroom tiles and walls, or in roof gutters. They can breed outdoors or enter homes from the windows and the doors.

How to Get Rid of Drain Flies
The first step in drain flies extermination and effective pest control is to find out from where they are coming from. Exterminating the existing flies on the walls and ceilings of your bathroom and kitchen will not be of any use as they will soon be replaced by the eggs that already have been laid. Here are the steps for effective drain flies removal.

1. Identify the breeding grounds of the drain flies inside and outside your home. For this you need to locate all the floor drains in the lower level of your house and other areas in your home where slime and stagnant water is found.
2. Now using a drain gel, clean up the drains. Next, with a traditional metal pipe brush, remove any accumulated hair and grime which might serve as a breeding ground for the flies. Once the sides of the drain are clean, you can now pull out any clumps of hair or other grime with a plumbing snake.
3. If getting all the organic matter is difficult using a snake pipe then you can also use a caustic drain cleaner to break down the slime build-up. Since these caustic drain cleaners may damage some pipes use these drain cleaners only as the last recourse and ensure that your drain pipe can handle the corrosive product.
4. Once you have eliminated the drain flies there are some basic maintenance tips that you need to do in order to avoid recurrence of the pests. Just make sure you regularly clean the drains at least once a month. Also throw out your garbage daily and keep your kitchen and sink clean. Keep the caulking around the drains clean and re-grout the tiles in the bathroom shower and floor.

To know more about the common pests and flies at home and how to get rid of them read more on

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So keep your house pipes and drains clean and follow it up with bleach treatment in order to prevent recurrence of drain flies. How to get rid of them for a long period of time is based on whether you have used these simple preventive measures for drain flies extermination.