How to get rid of sewer flies

If you see tiny swarms of flies suddenly appearing around the kitchen sink, bathroom sink, or shower, you probably have a sewer fly infestation in your home. This wikiHow article will show you how to get rid of these harmful insects.

Table of Contents

Identify the problem

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Identify problem places. Check all drains in your home and any areas with standing water inside or outside your home. Where there are sewer flies, there is a problem.

Fortunately, sewer flies don’t travel far from the places they choose to live, so it’s rare for sewer flies to spread throughout a home. This is even more true the sooner you act on it.

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Dry all drain holes before going to bed. That’s the first thing you need to do to determine that the problem is in the drain hole.

In fact, the flies in your home may be other types of flies that are attracted to the smell of rotting fruit or other food sources. Therefore, you should determine that there are drain flies in your home’s drainage system before taking measures to get rid of them.

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Apply clear tape over the drain hole. Use clear tape to stick on the drainage holes, adhesive side facing down. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Do not completely seal the drain hole. If you seal the drain hole, the drain flies won’t get up, and you won’t find any evidence.

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Check the tape the next morning or a few days later. If you see flies stuck on duct tape, drain flies are the most likely culprit.

Even if you don’t find drain flies on the duct tape the first night, you should repeat this for at least four more nights so you don’t miss their breeding cycle.

Disables breeding ground for sewer flies

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Clean the garbage interceptor if possible. Remove the litter stopper or filter from the drain hole and rinse thoroughly, removing any hair trapped inside.

It’s crucial to clear out hair, dirt, and debris that flies may choose to lay eggs on.

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Wet the drain hose if necessary. Pour 4 to 8 quarts of warm water into the drain to moisten the inside.

Note, you only need to do this if the drain hose is not used very often. The drain pipe for daily use is already moist enough and does not need this measure.

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Use a dedicated pipe brush to clean the drain. ^{[2] X Research Source} Insert the broom into the drain, as deep into the pipe as possible.

Rotate and slowly move the brush up and down to remove dirt in the drain pipe.

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Remove other debris with a catheter. Insert the catheter into the drain and rotate it to remove the clumps of debris deep inside the tube.

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Pour pipe cleaner gel into the drain hose. Pour about 120 ml of cleaning gel around the mouth of the drain.

Pour cleaning gel around the mouth of the drain so that the cleaning lice coat the inside of the pipe.
Cleansing gel has the effect of removing organic matter. You can also use an enzymatic or bacterial cleaner to remove organic matter. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
Vinegar, boiling water, and bleach are traditional remedies to get rid of drain flies, but many experts claim that these methods are not effective.
Baking soda and vinegar poured down the drain can also kill flies; At the very least it helps to clean the pipes.
You may need to use the same amount of tube cleaning gel as above once a day for 5 or 7 days.

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Complete the cleaning process with the rubber plunger. ^{[4] X Research Source} After leaving the cleaner in the drain for several hours, flush it with plenty of water. Use a rubber plunger to remove any organic matter stuck in the sink.

Kill adult flies

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Use a fly swatter to kill adult flies. Use a regular fly swatter to smack drain flies in drainage areas as much as possible.

While destroying the sewer fly’s breeding grounds may prevent the flies from laying further eggs, you should still treat the adult flies for up to 20 days after cleaning the drain. As such, you may need to take other measures to get rid of drain flies.

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Use insect spray. If the fly swatter doesn’t work, you’ll need to treat the drain fly area with a bug spray that works in an enclosed space.

Close doors and windows where treatment is required.
Spray insecticide into the air for about 5-8 seconds for every 300 cubic meters of volume.
Leave the place and close the door for about 15 minutes or so.
Open all windows and doors when returning to the treated area. Turn on a fan if possible to dispel any residual bug spray.
Repeat this process once a week.

Further measures

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Keep the drain hole clean. You should clean the drains in your home at least once a month, but if drain flies are present, you may need to do it weekly or every two weeks.

No need for general cleaning. You only need to pour about 12 ml of cleaning gel into the drain hole and do not flush to keep the drain hose clean.
For drains in places that are rarely used like garages or basements, pour a little mineral oil down the pipes. This will help prevent drain flies until the water runs through the pipes.

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Use insect growth regulators (IGRs). Spray IGR directly onto drains and around pipes.

IGR can prevent larvae from developing into adult flies. Sewer flies only reproduce once they reach the adult stage, so this can significantly reduce the number of spawning flies, thereby reducing the problem of sewer flies.

Things you need

Duct tape
Specialized pipe brush
Drain pipe
Pipe cleaning gel
Rubber piston
Fly swatter
Insect sprays
Insect growth regulators

Steps

Identify the problem

Disables breeding ground for sewer flies

Kill adult flies

Further measures

Things you need

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