Fruit Flies Or Drain Flies & Plumbing Leaks

Fall is when you may typically find an abundance of fruit flies in your kitchen, especially in Nashville. This is because we often have an abundance of food for them to eat, in the form of produce from the garden, uncovered fruit waiting for a Thanksgiving feast, etc. So, the obvious answer is to cover all food in your kitchen, putting produce in sealed plastic bags, and other foodstuffs in the refrigerator or in sealed containers.

What are Fruit Flies: How to Identify

But what if you notice them coming out of your garbage disposal or drain? Fruit flies also like to feed on bits of rotting food in your garbage disposal, or caught on debris in your sink pipes. Identifying whether you have fruit flies is fairly simple. To see if the drain is the culprit, place a large piece of clear tape over your drain. Within 30 minutes, you should have flies stuck to the tape.

Getting Rid of  Fruit Flies

To get rid of these flies, be sure you use your garbage disposal regularly, cleaning it after each use. Pour boiling water into the drain to flush out all of the food particles and fly larvae.

About Drain Flies

But what if they are not fruit flies at all? Another common household pest is the drain fly. You will not find these flies around food in your kitchen, but only around your drain. While these flies also feed on food left in your pipes, they breed in moist, organic material. Another common site where drain flies are found in in the shower drain. Sometimes the drain pan under your shower will leak, and drain flies will move into the moist wood underneath the drain.

Plumbing Leaks Attracting Drain Flies

If you have drain flies, you may have a more serious problem that exposed food. Sometimes the drain flies will come from a broken or leaking pipe in the slab underneath your house, or near a leak in your basement.  Drain flies are attracted to the light, so they will head towards the nearest exit – usually a drain.

If you think you may have drain flies, give us a call. We can do an inspection for potential leaks and help you get rid of these flies once and for all.