Drain Fly Prevention

Drain flies, also known as moth flies due to their small, fuzzy, appearance, are an all too common occurrence in houses and commercial buildings. As their name “drain fly” suggests, they are usually found breeding in the organic build-up found in neglected drains. While unsightly, the drain flies in North America are relatively harmless, but their presence can suggest filth, and can be a fuzzy reminder that it’s time to deep clean the drains in your house. Let’s discuss how to identify and resolve current drain fly infestations and look at ways to prevent them from making a home in your drains.

Do I have drain flies?

The first step is to identify if you have a drain fly issue. You may see these hearth-shaped, fuzzy flies around lights or windows or resting on the ceiling or walls near drains. Locate the drains you suspect that the flies may be coming from. Place a piece of clear or white tape over ¾ of the drain. Check back over the next few days to see if you have caught any flies. If you find small, fuzzy flies on your tape, then it’s time to work on preventing some drain flies! Another simple method is to open up the drain cover and use a tool or metal wire coat hanger to investigate the drain for organic debris build-up. If you are able to pull out some debris, look for signs of fly larvae wiggling around. Drain flies don’t need much drain scum to breed in, so even a small amount can be a breeding source. While neglected drains are usually the culprit, drain flies can breed in organic debris in cracks and crevices around moist areas, such as behind caulk and tiles around your bath tub. If you’re having trouble identifying the source of these pests in your house, Home Paramount’s expert pest technicians can help!

Now that you know where the drain flies are coming from, we can prevent them from getting into your drains and into your house. Start by cleaning out your problem drains, removing hair and large debris first and flushing with warm water. Follow up with a metal pipe brush, drain snake, and an enzyme drain cleaner to breakdown the grime drain flies love to breed in. General household cleaners like bleach are not recommended, as they will not eliminate the breeding source. Once your enzyme cleaner has had time to break down the materials in the drain after following the product instructions for appropriate time length, use a plunger to remove any reside that may be stubbornly clinging to your drains. Sound like a lot of work? Call Home Paramount! Our technicians have the tools and skills to help you tackle these stubborn drain pests. The results will leave you with a clean and drain fly-free home! 

Prevent future problems.

Now that you have clean drains, preventing drain flies down the road will be a piece of cake. If possible, keep the drains covered when not in use. It’s a simple and cheap solution to stop drain flies from getting inside the drain. Most importantly, keep your drains clean with and enzyme cleaner once a month to reduce grime build-up. Finally, work with your pest control technician. Be sure to tell them when and where you first noticed the problem and any steps you may have taken to prevent drain flies from establishing in your home.

Your pest technician is there to help protect your house from all sorts of pests, including drain flies. So, if drain flies have you down this season, don’t worry, we are here to help. Give your local Home Paramount branch a call and we will be sure to flush away those unsightly pests!