Drain Flies Are An Annoying Little Pest

The not so lovely drain fly goes by several different names.  Besides a drain fly, it’s been called a sewer fly, drain moth, and filter fly.  These tiny little bugs are brown or black in color and are commonly found hanging around drainpipe openings.  The drain fly measures no longer than 1/5 of an inch and has hairy, dark wings which make it resemble a moth.

Although drain flies are considered harmless to humans, some people believe that they do carry harmful pathogens because of the materials that they consume and areas that they hang out in.  Drain flies will multiply extremely fast and it is not uncommon to see these flies hanging out on the walls and ceilings near an affected drain.  Drain flies are not adept at flying far and instead tend to jump or fly short distances. If you find drain flies in a particular room, chances are that you have a breeding source in that particular room.

Drain flies are attracted to stagnant water in pipes.  People are most likely to find drain flies upon returning home from a vacation or returning to a vacation house after being away for a spell.  Businesses also suffer from drain flies from poorly maintained drainage pipes.  Flushing water through your pipes will kill off and dispose of young drain flies and eggs.  Adult drain flies can easily survive both hot and cold water running through the pipes and they will be able to escape and begin the reproduction cycle once again. 

Look for drain flies in septic tanks, storm drains, damp leaves, garbage cans, toilet bowls, drains (especially in basements and garages) or other areas where stagnant water is a problem.  The best way to completely eliminate drain flies from your New Jersey home or business is to hire a pest control company.

Allison Pest Control offers a wide variety of quality pest control services for both residential properties and businesses.  If you are interested in maintaining a pest free environment, contact Allison Pest Control today.