As their name suggests, drain flies lay eggs in the film that forms in drain pipes and garbage disposals. Standing water increases the chance these pests will breed and develop in the house.
Drain flies gather, mate, and lay eggs in moisture or standing water. The slimy film that forms in sewers and drains is a favorite breeding spot. Putting off regular cleaning and maintenance of these areas may attract the pests and offer them a place to feed and develop.
These pests live and breed inside your plumbing pipes, feeding on decomposing material and laying eggs within the gelatinous slime that collects along the interior walls of your drain. Adults can be spotted resting on walls and ceilings of the infested areas.
Keep in mind that flies feed on and lay eggs in anything that is rotting or putrefying. The likely breeding sites for house fly larvae indoors include animal carcasses, large numbers of dead insects, rotting meat or produce.
Like really love it! They're attracted to moist places like bathroom drains or sink drains and moist towels where there is a lot of stagnant water for them to breed and lay their eggs.
Drain flies breed in areas that are moist and have a lot of organic remains, including: Sinks. Tubs. Under the washing machine.
Drain flies thrive in stagnant and standing water. Common sources include slow or clogged drains, rarely used and unused toilets, refrigerator drain pans, and standing water created by leaking pipes. They typically enter buildings through basements, windows, and drains.
A foul rotting piece of organic matter (from food, to feces, and everything in between) is probably the reason why the house flies are growing at an alarming rate in your home. It is the perfect breeding ground for houseflies and they will show up near and far to take advantage of the filth that is available to them.
House fly eggs resemble small grains of rice. The eggs hatch into larvae, also known as maggots, which range in size from about ¼-3/8” (7-10 mm) long. Maggots are cream colored with a greasy appearance.
Additional conditions that might attract flies in your home include uncovered trash cans, pet feces, animal carcasses in your walls, rotting fruit, spilled sugary drinks, and more. Once flies get indoors, they can reproduce quickly, making it important to learn how to prevent them.
Once you've wiped out their breeding ground, the adults will eventually disappear because there is nowhere left for them to deposit their eggs.
Make a natural cleaning/fly killer mixture.
Mix together 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar. Pour the mixture down the drain. Let sit overnight, then flush the drain with hot water in the morning.
During the day, adults rest in shaded areas or on walls near plumbing fixtures and on the sides of showers and tubs. Most activity occurs during the evening when these flies are seen hovering about drains and sinks.
Learn the Pest Biology
Life Cycle: Adult females lay 30–100 eggs in sludge around sewage and drainage areas. Eggs hatch in 32–48 hours, larval stage lasts 8–24 days, pupal stage 20–40 hours. Adults live about two weeks.
Do Drain Flies Die in Winter. Most fly species cannot survive outside temperatures below 32°F (0°C). They die unless they find a warm and conducive place to overwinter, such as your home. Drain flies are one of the few insects that can tolerate cold weather conditions.
To make an all-natural drain fly trap, fill a bowl with apple cider vinegar and cover it with plastic wrap. Punch small holes in the wrapping. The vinegar's smell will attract the drain flies, and the wrap will trap them inside the bowl.
You know you've found the breeding site if you see small, dark clusters of spots the size of a pinhead (eggs) or pale-colored larva (maggots) resembling little worms. Once these maggots develop hard cases, flies are about to hatch!
Intestinal myiasis occurs when fly eggs or larvae previously deposited in food are ingested and survive in the gastrointestinal tract. Some infested patients have been asymptomatic; others have had abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea (2,3). Many fly species are capable of producing intestinal myiasis.
The most obvious sign of an indoor fly infestation is adult flies in your home. If you're seeing flies in increasing numbers, the infestation may be worsening in severity. Check your kitchen, bathrooms, basement, trash cans, litter boxes, and drains for these insects.
Homeowners typically find house fly eggs in moist, decaying organic material like trash, grass clippings, or feces. Elongated and pale in color, they appear in clusters and hatch quickly after being laid by the female fly.
It's likely that the flies in your house are coming from a source near the house (typically your backyard) where there is rotting fruit and vegetables or garbage.
Door Traffic
One of the main reasons flies are getting into your home when the windows are closed is because you may have a lot of door traffic. If you and other people consistently go in and out of a door, this is prime time for flies to enter your home.
Check for Larvae
Drain flies frequently lay eggs in the organic material that builds up right at the opening of your drain. Remove the drain cover, scrape some of the slime off the sides, and look for thin, tube-like, drain-fly larvae.
For effective drain fly treatment, use three products: Forid Drain Gel Cleaner, Gentrol IGR Aerosol, and Pyrid. Forid is an organic microbial grease degrader that breaks down organic material and waste, which will eliminate their food sources and their breeding grounds.
One possible sign of an undetected mold problem in your home or office could be the presence of Phorid flies, sewer flies or some other gnats or bugs.