How to Get Rid Of Drain Flies In Your Bathroom

Each year thousands of people struggle with the problem of drain flies in their bathrooms or other parts of their homes. Whether they are in your bathtub drain, kitchen sink, toilet, or even septic tank, it is important to know how to get rid of them effectively so they do not come back.

What Are Drain Flies?

Adult Drain Fly, Wings Spread

Drain flies are simply flies that breed in stagnant water and are most commonly found in a home after returning from vacation. Although the flies sometimes begin to disappear after normal household activities are resumed, this is not always the case. These flies are commonly mistaken for the fruit fly, but the two are not the same. Drain flies are also referred to as filter flies, sewer, flies, or moth flies. These flies have a number of hairs covering their body and wings and leave a powdery smudge when crushed.

Why Drain Flies Like Your Bathroom

These flies are most commonly found in areas where there is standing water, which is why they are usually found in your bathtub, toilet, drain, and sink. Even those with septic tanks are no stranger to drain flies because of the fact that they need stagnant water in order to successfully breed and create offspring. Standing water is common in a bathroom, especially when a person has been away from their home for an extended period of time and this area of their home has not been in use.

Getting Rid Of Drain Flies

Drain flies can be extremely bothersome and are quite common, so it is important to know how to go about getting rid of them quickly and effectively. While there are many different ways to go about doing this, there is a method that is guaranteed to work for almost everyone.

Step 1: The first step in this process is to identify the problem areas. Take a close look at all of the drains in your home that have standing water. Any of these areas that have numerous drain flies will undoubtedly be a big problem.

Step 2: Thoroughly clean the affected drain and the area around it.

Step 3: You will then need to remove the hair catcher/filter from the shower where the affected drain is. When you pull out the hair catcher, make sure to clean it thoroughly, removing any traces of hair. In order to destroy the breeding ground of the drain flies, you will have to make certain that all hair and debris are completely removed so they have nowhere to lay their eggs.

Step 4: Pour a gallon or two of warm water into the drain in order to create some moisture inside.

Step 5: Take a metal pipe brush and work it into the drain, snaking it through as far down as possible. Make sure to twist the brush while slowly moving it up and down in order to remove any debris on the sides of the pipe. Use a plumbing snake to fish out any grime that is inside the drain so that you can get all of the grime that is further down.

Step 6: Pour a gel drain cleaner down the affected drain, using around only 4 oz or 125 ml around the edge of the drain. Make sure to coat the sides of the drain with the gel cleaner so that it is able to slide down easily. Although many people use vinegar, bleach, and boiling water to clean their drains, a gel cleaner is a much more effective overall option. You may need to put more gel cleaner down your drain later on to kill all of the flies, though the first application should work fine.

Step 7: After you have allowed the gel cleaner to sit in the drain for several hours, you will need to flush it out with lots of water. You can use a plunger to get out any of the debris left in the drain.

Prevent New Breeding

Drain Fly Larvae

If you have experienced problems with drain flies, it is important to take the necessary steps to prevent new breeding so you don’t have to go through this all over again. Make sure to keep the drain in your bathtub and sink clean by pouring 4 oz of gel drain cleaner into the drains and allowing it to sit for several hours. You will also want to spray an aerosol IGR inside the drain, making sure to coat the sides as well. The IGR will prevent the flies from advancing past the larvae stage, so they do not get the chance to breed and accumulate.

Kill Adult Drain Flies

You can use a fly swatter to kill all of the adult drain flies that are already in your bathroom. Make sure to kill as many of these flies as you can, using only a swatter. Although destroying the breeding grounds of the drain flies will prevent them from laying any more eggs, it is still important to effectively deal with the adults for the first couple weeks or so after you have cleaned the drain out. Some people with this problem may need to take additional measures to ensure that all of the adult drain flies are gone, depending on how many there are.

If you find that a fly swatter is not enough to destroy all of the adult drain flies, you can try using an insect spray that can be used inside. If you do use the spray, make sure to close all doors and windows in the immediate area and apply for spray for 5-8 seconds per 1000 cubic feet. Leave the area immediately after spraying it and stay out for at least 15 minutes before coming back in to and opening all of the windows and doors. You will most likely need to reapply the spray once a week or more, depending on the severity of the infestation. Doing this should ensure that all of the adult drain flies in your bathroom have been killed.