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Nests in Your Bathroom

Drain flies are very small — about 1/8 of an inch. They can be either tan or black in appearance. They also have hair surrounding their bodies, which gives them a fuzzy appearance. Perhaps the most distinguishing feature for these flies, however, is the unique
pattern of veins you will find on the wings of each drain fly.

They are also commonly known as filter flies, sewer flies or moth flies. They don’t bite and aren’t vectors for any major diseases. Mostly, they are just a nuisance because they hang around filthy places. They leave a powdery smudge when you crush them and are commonly found
near drains, pipes and trash. That’s how they end up breeding in your bathroom. They are commonly confused with clothes moths and fruit flies. However, they do not hang around clothes or sweet food and drinks. Today, we will look at how to get rid of drain flies — fast and
easy.

How to Inspect and Clean Breeding Sites for Drain Flies

There are several steps to take to determine whether your home or business has drain flies.

Inspection

Drain flies typically breed in drains. They survive off of the debris in the drain as it forms a wet, slimy film in the drain trap and on the sides of the drain. You can scrape some of it off with something like a knife to see if there are any live larvae in the sludge.
● One way to do this is to cover the top of the drain with some tape. Don’t forget to puncture some holes into the tape to allow for some airflow. If there are any drain flies in your drain, they will get stuck to the tape as they try to exit the drain.
● Sometimes, when a drain pipe breaks, the debris will collect under slab floors, and that’s where drain flies will breed. Adult flies will enter the living space at the top of the slab through cracks and get in through the broken drain pipe. You can place masking tape in
the crack in the pipe to figure out if they are coming up from the slab.
● You can also find drain flies in sewers and sump pump pits in the basement. This is especially true for commercial buildings. You should also check them for activities.
● In a regular home, you will commonly find drain flies in the bathroom drains, especially if you have a shower. If your shower pan typically leaks, then the area underneath it will likely become a prime breeding area for moth flies.

Cleaning

● Start by removing all the organic debris found in small cracks and nooks under the bottom edges of kitchen equipment. Once it is all removed and the area dried, you can apply a lasting caulk to the area to seal it.
● Clean any place with highly organic debris, such as storm drains, sewage treatment facilities, moist mops, sink drains and bathroom drains.
● Re-grout your tiles to prevent the seepage of water into the walls. This will prevent breeding in those areas. Any rotting vegetable matter should be disposed of to discourage breeding.
● Clean your garbage containers, washing machines with wet lint and stagnant water in houseplant pots. Inspect bird baths, air conditioners and stagnant pools outside as well.

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