When it comes to common household pests that are often misunderstood, drain flies are likely among the top few on the list. Drain flies are a nuisance, multiplying in large numbers and causing general annoyance. If you've never dealt with drain flies before, you may not know what they are when you see them. It's important to understand the basics of these pests so that you know when it's time to call a pest control company for help.
What Are Drain Flies?
Drain flies are tiny flies that are attracted to the standing water, film, and organic debris in your drain pipes. They often appear as a result of damaged plumbing, clogs, and similar issues. You may also end up with a drain fly infestation if you have any drains that aren't frequently used because stagnant drains are an ideal place for the larvae to grow undisturbed.
How Can You Tell If They Are Drain Flies?
Drain flies, fruit flies, and gnats are all similar in size and appearance, so it can be hard for the untrained eye to differentiate between them. If you are trying to deal with an infestation, it's important that you're certain it is drain flies in order to take the right approach.
The best way to find out for sure if the pests you're seeing are drain flies is to cover a couple of your drains completely with packing tape overnight. If you have a light over the sink, leave that light on overnight as well because drain flies are attracted to light. Since they are most active at night, you'll find that you have small flies stuck to the underside of the tape in the morning. If so, you can be pretty confident that you're dealing with drain flies.
Are Drain Flies Harmful?
You might wonder if drain flies are harmful or just annoying. The good news is that drain flies won't bite, so you don't have to worry about that part. However, they do live in the drains, and they grow in the film layer inside your drains. There's a lot of risk of bacteria spread on the surfaces that these flies land on simply because of the area where they come from. For that reason, you'll want to be particular about your cleaning efforts while you're battling these bugs.
How Do You Get Rid Of Drain Flies?
There are a lot of theories out there about getting rid of drain flies. People suggest everything from drain cleaner to bleach and even boiling water poured down the drains. Sometimes these measures will reduce the population, but drain flies are particularly difficult pests to get rid of. In fact, if you're dealing with a drain fly infestation, your best solution is to reach out to a local pest control contractor. They can treat your drains and kill not only the adult flies but also the larvae in the drains as well.
