4 Proven Ways to Get Rid of Drain Flies & Sewer Flies

Flies can appear from the drain because poorly-maintained bathroom and kitchen pipes are the perfect breeding grounds for these tiny nuisance pests. Here are the methods we recommend you try out before the drain fly infestation becomes an even bigger problem.

1. Apply Drain Treatment to Suffocate the Flies

These flies appear from the drain due to the presence of moist organic debris that accumulate along the inner surface of the pipes. One of the best ways to clear out the organic debris without getting your hands too dirty is to use cleaning products like the Rockwell Labs Invade Bio Drain Gel. This uses active ingredients like citrus oil to eliminate the scum and odor.

2. Get Rid of Drain Flies with Apple Cider Vinegar

You could also get rid of the adult drain flies by setting up a few apple cider vinegar traps near the kitchen and bathroom drains. The trap consists of a few spoons of apple cider vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and a bit of sugar. The fermented smell of the vinegar will attract the drain flies to the trap. Once the flies land on the liquid, they won’t be able to escape due to the effects that dish soap has on surface tension.

Keep in mind that the vinegar trap will only get rid of the adult drain flies. You will need to use other methods to get rid of the larvae and eggs in the actual drain.

3. Snake out the Organic Debris

The drain treatment gel might not be enough to clear out the organic debris in the pipe. You might also need to get a plumbing snake or a drain clog remover to get rid of the dirty debris inside the pipe. This could include hair and other debris you probably don’t want to know about.

4. Pour Boiling Water Down the Drain

Don’t have any of the above products at hand? You can start off with pouring boiling water down the drain to start clearing out some of the debris the drain flies are breeding in. Please only do this if the pipes aren’t clogged. PVC pipes, for example, could get damaged if they are exposed to boiling water for a long period of time.

If the flies aren’t appearing from the drains then you are most likely dealing with another species of house gnats. There are other methods to get rid of gnats if they are appearing from other parts of the house.