The combo of baking soda, salt, and vinegar down the drain is a home remedy that works well against eggs and larvae buildup. In this order, pour a cup of baking soda, a cup of salt, and two cups of vinegar down the drain before bed. Let it sit overnight, then flush the mixture down the drain with boiling water.
The best way to control moth flies is to eliminate or reduce the larval food sources by thoroughly cleaning drain lines and plumbing fixtures. Pouring boiling water down the drain where larvae are suspected to be may help to reduce their numbers.
What Causes Drain Flies? 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.
Drain flies are most commonly found in the bathroom, particularly in drains that have stagnant water or grime sitting in the pipes. Therefore, you'll probably find the small flies in the toilet, sink drain or shower.
Small black worms in toilets are usually the larvae of drain flies, which live off of an unappetizing combination of decaying matter and sewage. Their preferred diet makes a toilet a perfect living environment.
Drain flies are not known to bite or transmit any diseases to humans. However they can trigger bronchial asthma in susceptible individuals and their larvae can cause myiasis, a parasitic infestation in which the larvae grow inside human tissue.
Horsehair worms are long, black worms roughly the thickness of a horse hair. You may observe horsehair worms knotted up into a ball. This pest most likely got into your home or toilet through an insect, such as a cricket or cockroach who ingested a string of eggs in a nearby pond.
IT STARTS WITH MAGGOTS IN YOUR DRAINS!
It's the larvae or maggots of these flies that live inside the drains, feeding on the gelatinous goo that forms on the inside of the pipes.
Pour Hot Water into the Toilet
If you need to heat some in the microwave or the stovetop, you don't want it to reach boiling temperatures. Boiling water can cause toilet porcelain to crack. Allow the hot fluid to sit in the toilet for a few minutes to loosen the clog.
In the morning, pour some very hot water down into the drain to rinse it and any remaining fly larvae away.
Clean Your Drains Carefully
Regularly cleaning your drains will kill the larvae and the adult flies. You can opt for a commercial cleaning product—such as a bleach solution or a chemical cleaner—or a do-it-yourself (DIY), environmentally friendly solution.
The good news is most drain fly issues can be fixed within about a week with regular cleaning and careful attention.
Bleach will absolutely kill drain flies. However, using bleach comes with certain risks. It's better to try other methods first and use bleach as a last resort.
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.
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.
DIY Ways of Getting Rid of Drain Flies
The pour half a cup of bicarb soda down the sink as well, followed by a half cup of white vinegar. Let it settle for a few minutes then poor some more boiling water down the drain. Follows these steps every few days until the drain flies have completely disappeared.
Some species hold the wings out to the side, which gives them a moth-like appearance—hence the name "moth fly." They are weak fliers and make irregular, hesitating flights covering only a few feet in short, jerky lines. Eggs are tiny, brown or cream-colored and are laid in irregular masses of 10 to 200.
Pinworms are formally diagnosed when the symptoms are present and the worm is seen - either around the anal area, on the outside of the stool or toilet paper. The worm are about ¼ inch long and thin like a piece of thread-but are often moving.
Within a day, house fly eggs hatch into larvae, also known as maggots. Maggots are legless, white insects that feed from the egg-laying site for three to five days. During this time, maggots molt several times. They then choose a dark place to pupate.
Answer: What you may have found are carpet beetle larvae. They are characteristically brown, they may look banded with brown and pale stripes, and with long ”hairs” at the tail end. They are slow moving across walls and floors.
At night, when they are active, they will congregate towards light sources, like lampshades. They will also feed and breed at night, so you'll see them near food sources or breeding areas. You'll most likely see only a few at a time, as you only rarely see drain flies in large numbers at once.
Drain flies breed in areas that are moist and have a lot of organic remains, including: Sinks. Tubs. Under the washing machine.
Behavior: Drain flies are most active at night. They are weak flyers that make short hopping flights of a few feet when they are disturbed. Drain flies rest on surfaces with their wings held over their back like a roof. You'll usually find a drain fly close to its breeding ground.
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.