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 thrive in moist, warm conditions. Their preferred hibernation temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Drain flies are typically only found in the summertime or in places with moderate year-round climates. Cold weather kills off more drain flies than any of their predators.
Hot Water
The most effective way how to get rid of drain flies to expose them to hot, but not boiling water. You don't want to cause the surface materials to crack! Pour an about one-half gallon of lukewarm fluid through the drain first. If it disappears quickly, you know that it is functioning correctly.
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.
Adult house flies are affected by temperature as much as their young, becoming inactive when temperatures fall below 45 degrees and dying when they fall below 32. Because house flies thrive in hot environments and die off in colder ones, they are generally a summertime pest, rather than an autumn or winter one.
A housefly will likely die on its own from stress.
These flies aren't meant to be in air conditioned environments, which can also contribute to them dying. The longest a housefly will last inside is about two weeks.
What do flies want? Without warm, secluded shelter, flies can't survive freezing temperatures. Most common flies can't hibernate, either, which means they need a shelter where they can access food. If you have flies, it means your home provides both of these things.
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.”
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.
The best way to get rid of drain flies is by eliminating their breeding grounds. Get rid of organic matter in your drains using DIY homemade solutions or store-bought products.
The larval stage of drain flies lasts up to 24 days, while the pupal stage lasts between 1 and 2 days at most. The larvae feed on bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that develop in the breeding medium in drains, standing water, and even sewage treatment beds.
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.
Adult drain flies usually live about two weeks, but newly emerged adults rapidly replace them. These flies are also known as moth flies due to their appearance: they are small and furry with large, ovoid wings and prominent antennae.
Once you've wiped out their breeding ground, the adults will eventually disappear because there is nowhere left for them to deposit their eggs.
Drain fly problems can go away on their own—but only if the insects find the environment inhospitable. Those with a minor infestation can simply flush their toilets and run their faucets more frequently to flush out the flies and larvae. Others will have to deep clean their drains and set up traps.
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.
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.
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.
Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass, and citronella are just a few of the scents that insects despise (with lavender probably being the most effective). Pouring half or an entire cup of such essential oil onto a sponge or rag, then storing it in a small can, helps keep flies at bay.
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.
Pour one-quarter to one-half cup of apple cider vinegar into a bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap, then use a fork to poke holes in the wrap. Set the dish next to your sink. The drain flies will not be able to escape and will drown in the vinegar.
They will not bite you, they are not aggressive, they do not even really stray to far from the breeding source. However, drain flies can indirectly affect your health and family. That decomposing organic matter, sewage, bacteria, microorganisms, and fungi, we spoke about earlier, can host some nasty organisms.
Cinnamon – use cinnamon as an air freshner, as flies hate the smell! Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass essential oils – Not only will spraying these oils around the house create a beautiful aroma, but they will also deter those pesky flies too.
Bugs seek out the same basic shelter we do. They are attracted to the lights inside your home, cool temperature, and availability of food. Your air conditioner can offer easy access to the inside of your home. The bugs most commonly found in your AC system are flies, cockroaches, mosquitoes, ants, and spiders.
Flies are just like us – they spend the entire day buzzing around with their friends and get pretty tired at bedtime. Before sunset, a sleepy fly will try and find a safe place to rest. Some favourite places are on the undersides of leaves, twigs, and branches, or even in tall grass or under rocks.