If you’ve worked in the food industry in Florida, you’re probably used to these guys. They’re small, annoying creatures that like to buzz around your food and live in your drains. So today, let’s talk about Florida drain flies. We’ll go over what they are, and how to control them.
Florida Drain Flies: Are there drain flies in my home or business?
The first thing you need to be able to do to deal with an infestation is to identify what bug it is. So, let’s get into what this pest looks like.
Drain flies are small pests. They have six legs and a pair of wings and antennae like all flies. Their bodies are light gray or tan in coloration, with light colored wings. The body and wings are covered with long hairs, which is why these flies look fuzzy. When at rest, the drain fly folds its wings overtop its body. And like I mentioned above, they’re very small – only about five millimeters long at max. Their larvae are about four to ten millimeters long, and they are slender with a dark strip on their dorsal area. The larva doesn’t have eyes and are legless. One end sports a dark breathing tube.
Drain flies are found in moist areas. They prefer spots coated with nutritious organic material. That means that house and storm drains are their number one locations. You can also find them near compost piles and rotting logs. Once in a drain or compost pile, that fly is truly at home to breed and feed on the organic matter and sewage.
Florida Drain flies: The life cycle
Drain flies lay their eggs almost anywhere they can find food. These eggs then hatch into tiny larvae that are hard to see. And those larvae are tough when they hatch, having been known to survive dramatic temperature changes and low oxygen conditions. Drain flies are fast breeders too. In the right conditions, like in a restaurant’s drainage system, they can create a new generation in a week! But typically it’s every two to three weeks for a residential infestation.
The larvae of this pest usually aren’t seen by the homeowner. However, the drains can be found in the film clinging to your drain if you take them apart. In small numbers, drain fly larvae are actually not that bad for your sink. That’s because they have strong jaws that can break up drain clogs. They can even cut through dense slime and hard build up in your drains.
But those worms have to grow up eventually. The larvae will pupate until they emerge as adults, the only stage of life you usually see. The adults live about two weeks but are easily replaced by more thanks to their rapid life cycle. Florida drain flies are very hard to remove once they’re established because of this.
Signs of a drain fly infestation
Like most other flies, the most immediate sign of an infestation is an abundance of adults. You’ll usually see them resting on the walls in bathrooms. But you can also find them anywhere near breeding materials. Larvae can also be seen in the breeding material if you look down the drain.
These pests are annoying because of the large numbers in which they infest. And once they’re in your home, drain flies can plug pipes and spread bacteria from the filth they live in. And because they love to land on food, they can end up contaminating it with something that’ll make you sick. Though, they’re not known to readily spread diseases to humans.
If Florida drain flies are in your home, there’s almost certainly a slow or clogged drain. Drain flies like to gather, mate, and lay eggs in moisture and standing water. The film that forms in your drains is their favorite breeding spot, hence their name. Putting off cleaning of these areas can attract the pests and offer them a place to breed. Look for them getting into your home through basements, drains, and certain pipes leading indoors.
Florida Drain Fly Exterminator
Unfortunately, if your home or place of business is infested with fruit flies there are not many ways to get rid of them by yourself. Obviously, taking apart everything and cleaning it down to the last spec is good. If nothing else, it will reduce their numbers. Instead, try giving us a call at 1-800-634-1313 or visit our website insectfree.com to consult with us for some help. Trust a natural pest control business that’s been servicing the area for over twenty-five years!
Florida Drain Flies: Control tips
Now, you may not be able to get rid of these flies completely on your own. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to reduce their numbers. So let’s touch on a few here.
For one, simply flushing out your drains is going to remove a lot of the larvae and any reason for the adults to return. And the easiest way to do that is to pour boiling water very carefully down your drains once or twice a day for about a week. That will make sure that the flies do not return overnight if the water didn’t catch everything on the first go round.
Another way to do things is to combine baking soda, salt, and vinegar. This mixture of pantry items creates a natural cleaning solution. Simply pour it down your drain overnight. The baking soda expands with the vinegar, which means it reaches deeper into places the boiling water might not. Let that sit until the next morning, and then flush it out with boiling water.
And finally, you can create a trap for the adults. Cover a bowl, jar, or mug with plastic cling wrap. Fill the bottom of it with a bit of apple cider vinegar. If you do that and then punch holes in the plastic wrap, that flies will fly inside and be unable to get out. This is an effective trap for reducing the number of adult Florida Drain Flies buzzing around your home.
