How do I get rid of drain fly larvae in my toilet bowl?

Author: Teresa Kuhic  |  Last update: Monday, September 22, 2025

A straightforward yet effective method is to pour boiling water down the drain. This simple step can help eliminate drain flies and their larvae. Repeat this process once or twice a week, ensuring you pour the boiling water both down and around the drain to target all potential hiding spots.

Why are there larvae in my toilet bowl?

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.

Why are there drain flies in my toilet?

Drain flies thrive in environments where organic material accumulates, such as: Clogged or Dirty Drains: Organic debris that builds up in your plumbing provides an ideal breeding ground for drain flies. Regular cleaning of your drains and routine pest control treatment helps prevent these pests from taking hold.

What are the long skinny worms in my toilet bowl?

Horsehair Worms: Horsehair worms are long, black worms with a thin body, roughly the thickness of a horse's hair. They typically get into toilets through insects such as cockroaches or crickets, which inadvertently become hosts to the parasitic creatures by ingesting strings of eggs from a nearby pond.

Do horsehair worms infect humans?

Horsehair worms are harmless to vertebrates, because they can't parasitize people, livestock, pets, or birds. They also don't infect plants. If humans ingest the worms, they may encounter some mild discomfort of the intestinal tract, but infection never occurs.

How To Get Rid Of Drain Flies (5 Easy Ways)

What does tapeworm look like in the toilet?

Bits of tapeworm found in poo are often: flat and rectangular. white or pale yellow. the size of a grain of rice – but sometimes they're joined together in a long chain.

How to get rid of drain fly larvae?

Mix equal parts of salt and baking soda (half a cup each), and pour down the drain, then follow with a cup of vinegar. Let it sit overnight. The chemical reaction will not only kill drain flies but also remove any grime or grease that might be acting as a breeding ground.

How do I get rid of little worms in my poop?

Treatment to get rid of worms

If you have worms, a GP will prescribe medicine to kill them. You take this for 1 to 3 days. The people you live with may also need to be treated. Any worms in your gut will eventually pass out in your poo.

What are the tiny black tadpole looking bugs in my bathroom?

Most likely, these little black bugs are drain flies. While not dangerous, they are unsanitary, and we recommend getting rid of them ASAP. The presence of drain flies can also lead to infestations of pests that prey on drain flies – like spiders.

How do I get rid of fly larvae in my toilet?

How Do I Get Rid of Drain Fly Larvae in My Toilet? Thoroughly clean your toilet bowl with a scrubbing brush and drain cleaner to eliminate the gunk and slime drain fly larvae love to eat. Be sure to scour the inside of the toilet tank and under the rim of the toilet bowl.

How do I get rid of toilet drain flies?

Use a pipe brush to scrub around and inside the drain. Try boiling water: A super simple fix is to pour boiling water down the drain to eliminate drain flies. Boil a medium-size pot of water once or twice per week, and pour down and around the drain.

How do plumbers get rid of drain flies?

HydroScrub® Jetting is one of the most effective professional cleaning services available today. This system uses highly pressurized water—we're talking around 3,500 PSI—to blast all debris within your pipes into the city's main sewer line.

What causes drain fly larvae in toilet?

Drain flies are most often the result of a clog in a drain or sewer line, it doesn't matter if it's buildup, a soft clog or a hard clog – it just needs to limit the flow of wastewater, causing it to become stagnant and a breeding ground for bacteria. That's not the only time you might find these pests, however.

Are drain fly larvae harmful to humans?

How worried should I be about drain flies. 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.

What is the white stuff floating in my toilet bowl?

As water flows through your pipes, some calcium and magnesium minerals are left behind. Over time, those minerals can build up, causing unsightly stains and scaling. One of the most obvious signs of hard water buildup is in the toilet.

What kills worms in the toilet?

Cleaning the bathroom with carbolic acid or detergent regularly has been shown to help eradicate worm growth in the bathroom. If using a chemical cleaning fluid, just pour it into between the open tile floors. You can also pour the liquid directly over the worm's body when you find it.

What does giardia poop look like?

Symptoms of giardiasis may include: Explosive, watery, foul-smelling stools. Greasy stools that tend to float.

How do I deworm myself?

The most widely used deworming medication is called albendazole, and it is a secure method of treating intestinal worms that are used all over the world. Children aged between one and two years should take half a tablet (200 mg), and those aged between 2 and 19 years should take one tablet (400 mg).

What smell do drain flies hate?

Peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oils are especially beneficial. Pour a few drops of the chosen oil with water down the toilet. The oils' pungent aroma repels drain flies and disturbs their breeding cycle. To keep the solution effective, reapply it every few days.

How long do drain fly larvae live?

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. Preferred Food Sources: Larvae feed on algae, bacteria, fungi and microscopic animals.

Do drain flies mean a broken pipe?

Trapped Sewage

Trapped waste that is part of a clog in your drain pipe is also what causes drain flies to infiltrate your home. They love sewage and will look to inhabit and reproduce inside your pipe. This is another reason why it's crucial to deal with clogged drains immediately.

What kills tapeworms naturally?

Coconut: Coconut is one of the best home remedies for intestinal worms. It has been found to target and destroy parasites as well as tapeworms. It can be consumed in the breakfast by crushing it and consuming a few tablespoons full of coconut.

Is there a human dewormer?

“WHO recommends deworming women of reproductive age with single-dose albendazole or mebendazole after their first trimester of pregnancy and where the prevalence of worm infections is 20% or higher.”

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