How to Get Rid of Drain Flies (6 Easy Steps)
Think about the pests that bother you the most. Rats? Check. Termites? Definitely. Cockroaches? Ew. But there's another common household pest that you also need to keep your eye out for: drain flies. We've all seen one or two (or 100) in our time - those tiny flying critters that look like miniature moths that tend to hang around the drains in your kitchen or bathroom. But how to get rid of drain flies before they become a bigger problem? Let's explore.
Drain flies, sink flies, filter flies, sewer gnats or Psychodidae to budding entomologists, call them what you like. But Drain flies love to call your drains home - and their favourite place to dwell is inside the murky pipes of your bathroom, especially if there is a lot of gross stuff in there for them to munch. And your chances of having a drain fly problem is even greater if you don't use that bathroom very much.
Drain flies Gold Coast - Know what to look for
If you've just had an encounter with a tiny, annoying buzzy thing in your bathroom or kitchen, it's very possible that it's one of the drain flies Australia just loves to hate (often mistaken for fruit flies).
Does it:
- Remind you of a miniature moth?
- Have six legs?
- Have fuzzy little wings?
- Have a pair of antennae or 'feelers'?
If it checks every box, and it's between 1.5 and 5mm in size, it's time to learn all around getting rid of drain flies .... right now!
How to get rid of drain flies
First, let us reassure you - although drain flies are obviously pretty dirty, given that they live in drains and feast on the gross matter that lurks within, this is not a pest that is going to particularly endanger your family or your home. But if you have asthma, they certainly can exacerbate the problem.
But enough chit-chat about these pests. Let's explore how to get rid of drain flies:
1. Clean the bathroom
Cleaning the bathroom thoroughly won't necessarily get rid of the drain flies - but it might prevent them from coming back once they're gone. Remember, it's the stagnant stuff in your drains that feed this pest, so keeping bathrooms very clean is your best defence.
2. Use a wire brush
So here's the handy tip for getting rid of drain flies - use a wire brush to clean your drains and pipes.
3. Cook up a drain fly killer
What do you get when you add water, sugar, vinegar and dish soap together? Answer: a delicious concoction to feed to your drain-dwelling drain flies ... that will kill them.
4. Boiling water
But before you cook up this magic solution, boil the kettle. No, you are not about to make a cup of coffee - you are going to sizzle your drain flies with a deadly shower. The hot water will also work to flush away all the pipe gunk that the drain flies find so delicious. This will also help clean smelly drains.
5. Prevent, prevent, prevent
With a bit of luck, you've stopped breeding season down your drains - and now it's up to you to make sure the problem doesn't return. Do you happen to keep fruit near the affected drains? Stop doing that, and also make it a habit to regularly empty your bins - and consider forming a habit of putting the plug in the sink when it's not being used.
6. Check your drains
With this simple DIY advice, you're hopefully going to get on top of your drain fly infestation and then stop them from coming back time and time again.
But you should also consider that your drains and pipes might have an underlying problem that means drain fly infestations are something you are going to have to keep dealing with. The easy solution to that is to get In Deep Plumbing to come and check out your plumbing. Our local plumbing specialists are particularly good at cleaning and unblocking drains for a wide variety of issues - so give your plumbing a clean bill of health by getting in touch today.
