Ew! Drain Flies!
Have you seen a ton of “fruit flies” or “drain flies” around your home, and at first they were annoying, and now you don’t know whether to call an exterminator or have a sewer line replacement in Lee’s Summit? Everyone sees these at least once in their lifetime. Once you have them in your home, they start to breed and multiply. It seems like they are hatching more and more every day.
What are Drain Flies Exactly?
Drain flies are tiny bugs; they measure a teeny one-eighth of an inch and tend to congregate around standing water. They are gray or taupe in color with small, rounded wings, and are also widely known as moth flies, sewer flies, or filter flies. Homeowners usually find them in the kitchen or bathroom. That is why often people believe they need sewer line replacement in Lee’s Summit because it could mean your drainpipe is leaking.
Drain flies show up sometimes if you have a slow or clogged drain; call Bill Fry if you think that might be the case. A liquid drain cleaner will not solve the problem if you have a clogged drain causing drain flies.
What are Fruit Flies?
There is a difference between fruit flies and drain flies. Fruit flies are looking for unrefrigerated produce, ripening fruit, or organic materials. It is important that you have a properly working garbage disposal to get rid of any food that could be a gathering spot for fruit flies.
If you have two adult fruit flies in your home, they can lay up to 500 eggs near food left outside your refrigerator. If you need garbage disposal installation in Lee’s Summit, Bill Fry can get the job done and help prevent fruit flies from invading your home. Fruit flies are widely known for nesting in faulty garbage disposals.
How do you get rid of Drain and Fruit flies?
If you keep the area clean, you can usually get rid of drain and fruit flies in about a week without calling an exterminator or a plumber:
- Clean your sink like you usually do. Get a pipe brush to scrub around and inside the drain.
- Pour boiling water down the drain to eliminate drain flies or fruit flies in the garbage disposal. Repeat this process a couple of times per day until they are gone.
- Another easy option uses baking soda: Combine 1/2 cup salt with 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar, and pour down the drain. Try doing this option overnight.
- If you need a heavier-duty way to get rid of drain flies, try a store-bought drain cleaner. If this method does not work, you may have a major issue. Call Bill Fry, the Plumbing Guy, and his team to check for a major clog.
- If you’re still seeing adult drain or fruit flies, create an apple cider vinegar trap using a small dish cove
- red in plastic wrap. Poke holes in the plastic wrap. This lets the flies in but makes it difficult for them to escape.
Bill Fry is a master plumber in the Kansas City Metro area offering a wide range of plumbing services. These include water heater replacement in Lee’s Summit, tankless water heater installation, water heater repair in Lee’s Summit, water treatment, and water testing. Do you have toilet troubles in your home? Bill offers toilet replacement in Lee’s Summit, along with interior and exterior faucet installation, faucet repairs, sump pump testing, backflow testing, and radiant heating.