How to get rid of drain flies
Many homeowners would agree that Moth Flies, more commonly known as drain flies, are one of the most annoying pests. Mostly seen in the more humid months, drain flies can be spotted in all rooms of homes. Because flies are airborne, they are much more difficult to eliminate by the use of sprays and gels compared to landlocked insects. With pests such as roaches, mice, ants and we can detect their nests and harborage areas and use baits and gels to kill the pests. Here at Northeastern Exterminating we want our customers to understand there are certain actions they can take before hiring us, to increase the risk of reducing drain flies all on their own.
- Identify the problem drain(s). Before taking your kids to school, use some clear packing tape and place it over all the drains in the house. Another method is inverting plastic cups over the suspected drains. By the time you return from your long day at work check each taped or cupped drain to see which drain produced flies. Those drains are the ones you will focus on.
- Understand how they survive. Plain and simple, moisture flies need moisture to develop and survive. Try to understand that certain drains that are less commonly used can be more of a problem. Due to the small amount of standing water that sits inside these unused drains, it creates a breeding ground for moisture flies.
- Remove hair/debris from drain. Use a drain tool (snake) and carefully remove any hair or debris that the drain fly larvae may be in. Removing these debris will also remove the main food source of the moisture fly.
- Dry out unused drains. Due to the high humidity in the summer, most unused drains do not dry out completely. This causes a breeding ground for the moisture flies. What you must do is clean and dry out the un-used drain. To do this you can buy an over the counter drain or pipe cleaner. Use the product as directed and follow all instructions. After you flush out the drain cleaner with hot water, run a hot blow dryer and direct it into the drain. This should be done for enough time to dry the inside of each drain.
- Do not dump pesticides down the drain. Many pest control operators may suggest you dump or spray into chemicals into drains. Not only will this put a band-aid over the open wound, it is selfish and against the law. Follow local laws and read pesticide labels before doing so. This can cause problems with your local drinking water. Realize everything you dump into your drain, goes into our oceans! Please be considerate of the environment!
- Other possiblites of the source. If you are still having a problem, and aren’t producing any more flies in your home made tape and cup monitors, there could be another source of the flies. One source could be a small leak in your walls. You must also consider that flies do come in from outdoors. Check the drains and sewers outside your home as they could be breeding many flies. Clogged gutters, stagnant water and lakes are also possibilities. Use your brain, and you will find the source!
If your still having trouble with the flies and need a professional opinion please feel free to contact us. We have been treating NYC for pest control since 1994. We know a thing or two about getting rid of problem pests. If your reading this and you have gotten rid of your problem your self, please comment and let us know. Also if you have any additional tips you can add those too! We like to hear success stories. Happy fly hunting!
