You can kills dozens of drain flies and still not be rid of the problem. Since a drain fly can lay anywhere from 10-200 eggs in the sludge that builds up in your drain, you will have a continuous population of flies until you take away their breeding grounds. Follow these steps to remove the source of your drain fly problem:

1. If you have a hair catcher on your drain, remove and clean it. This may involve loosening screws to release the grate.
2. With the hair catcher off, use a pipe brush to clean the goop that is serving as the nest for the drain fly eggs off the sides of the pipe.
3. Once you have scraped a much of the pipe debris off, use a plumbing snake to pullout clumps of hair or solid matter. You can rent a drain snake or buy one at your local hardware store.  This can be a slow process if you want to thoroughly clean your pipes. It’s also messy and not for the squeamish. Don a good thick pair of rubber gloves.
4. Even with the snake, you probably will not be able to scrape out all of the gunk attracting the drain flies. Use an entire bottle of a strong drain cleaner, allowing it to sit for the maximum time suggested on the direction label.  Follow up with a second bottle if necessary.
5. Unfortunately, you’re still not finished. You need to get every bit of the organic matter out of the drain.  Run lots of hot water to make sure you’ve cleared away the drain cleaner. This will help clean the drain and protect you from dangerous chemicals splashing in the next step.
6. Get a plunger with a good seal. They are inexpensive enough to buy a new one for this job. After all the drain cleaner is flushed, plunge until you have cleared the pipes as much as possible.
7. Finally, boil water in the largest kettle or pot you have and pour that down the drain. Your drain flies will no longer have a happy home – but you will.

For a free estimate, give us a call at 781-986-0701 and mention that you found us from this article.

Tim Taylor, President of Heritage Pest Control in Randolph, MA, is an expert in pest control, with more than 20 years of education and experience in residential and commercial pest control.  Tim has an extensive background in entomology, and is a member of the National and New England Pest Management Associations and the Randolph Chamber of Commerce. Tim is also a 29-year member of the National Guard and is active in national and community activities including Pop Warner Football. Heritage Pest Control serves the greater Boston area including the suburbs of Brookline, Cambridge, Brighton, Allston, Milton, Quincy, Braintree and Canton. For more information, or to contact Tim, CLICK HERE to send a note to Tim or call him at 781-986-0701.