For the most part, drain flies are not dangerous and not harmful. Having drain flies around your home does not mean your drains are dirty or your kitchen, bathroom or other areas are unclean. They are opportunistic insects and can get inside and find any moist area to lay their eggs and breed.
Your Drain Pipe
As long as standing water is available, they will be able to reproduce. You may notice drain flies after being away for a while, or even after just a few days without using your sink—also watch out for flies regularly in drains that may not get a lot of use, like a guest room or basement.
Drain flies, also known as moth flies and sewer flies, do not bite humans. Compared to other fly species in Canada, drain flies are relatively harmless. While drain flies are not considered as threats for disease transmission, they are known bronchial asthma in susceptible individuals.
Despite what their name implies, though, they don't "fly" but rather hop from surface to surface. They won't go away quickly on their own either since they can live for up to three weeks with new eggs hatching as quickly as every 48 hours.
These flies will breed in any moist area that they can find. So if you are facing a drain fly infestation that you cannot figure it out, you may want to look deeper for the cause. The problem could be from a leaking pipe or drain under the sink or even a leaking pipe inside of your walls.
Identifying the Source
For the plastic cup method, lightly coat the inside of the cup with vegetable oil or petroleum jelly then invert the cup over a drain where you suspect flies may live. Leave the cup in place for several days, but check it daily.
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.
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.
One common remedy for killing drain flies is using household bleach. This is a very useful and cost-effective manner for getting rid of these little pests with an item you already have around the house.
What are the signs of a drain fly infestation? As with most flies, the most noticeable sign of drain flies are the adults. They typically are seen resting on the walls in bathrooms or near the breeding materials. Larvae also may be observed wriggling in the breeding material.
One of the reasons that these types of critters — drain flies, in particular — are so difficult to get rid of is that they have water-repellant hair all over their bodies. Furthermore, the drain fly larvae are difficult to drown since “they are able to trap air bubbles and remain submerged for a day or more.”
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.
Why Do I Suddenly Have Drain Flies? They are attracted to rotting food, feces, human hair, and moisture. You can also find them in humid, warm, and poorly ventilated areas. Drain flies are attracted to dirty drains, standing water, and slow-moving or clogged drains.
Pouring boiling water is quite risky as it might lead to a steam burn or scalding. Another thing to keep in mind is what type of material you are pouring in into. If you have a porcelain sink, it is likely to crack due to the heat. All in all, pouring boiling water down your drain will only cause issues down the road.
No, drain flies (Psychodinae) do not lay eggs in humans. They are not parasitic, and the human body is an inhospitable environment for them. Their close relatives, sand flies, are not as friendly, but these are not going to be invading your home in most regions.
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.
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.
Baking Soda, Boiling Water & Vinegar
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.
Many people associate the control of drain flies and bleach. The idea that pouring bleach down the drain gets rid of drain flies is actually a common misconception since doing so rarely helps get rid of these insects.
Essential oils are sometimes used to keep flies away from infested sections and also to kill them. Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, and citronella are just a few of the scents that insects despise (with lavender probably being the most effective).
Start by flushing out your drains and toilets with boiling water. Mix one-half cup of baking soda with one-half cup of lemon juice or one-half cup of salt. (You can also try mixing one cup of vinegar with one-half cup of baking soda in your drain.) Pour the mixture down the drain.
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.
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.
Besides inadequate control measures, another reason why you have drain flies present again could be because there was a secondary infestation in another site that was not discovered or treated. There may be other bathroom drains, or a floor drain, laundry room drain, or sump pump that are breeding flies.