They are kind of tiny, their wings are covered with scales and when you smack one, they seem to vanish in a poof of dust. They don’t bite. What is your Alabama Pest Control company talking about?

Drain Flies or Moth Flies.

Usually it’s a short-lived issue, the infestation that is. This is a phenomenon you’ll generally discover after returning home from a long vacation. They spawn in the standing water of your sinks and toilets. After a couple days of normal household activity they vanish. However if they continue to plague your environment after a couple of weeks, you could have an infestation from a permanent breeding site.

Unfortunately the bad news is that dealing with this deeply hidden colony can be quite a challenge.

Off To The Blue Grass State

We came across this succinct method for destroying the areas where drain flies congregate. It comes from the Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture:

“Control of drain flies should be aimed at elimination of breeding sites. The most effective control method is to clean pipes and traps thoroughly to remove accumulated slime. Pouring hot water down the drain may provide short-term control. Drain fly larvae are difficult to drown because they are able to trap air bubbles and remain submerged for a day or more. Do not pour insecticides down drains to kill drain flies. The drain fly life cycle takes from about 10 to 15 days at about 70° F. Groups of eggs are laid on gelatinous films of organic matter. The larvae can develop in water or thin surface films. Actual time varies with temperature, development is slower at lower temperatures but can continue through the year indoors.”

Other Methods

Texas A&M University’s Department of Entomology has the final word on these little buggers. They suggest 3 types of handling a drain fly matter. We’ve distilled down their recommendations:

Manual Cleaning

Clean toilets, drainpipes and traps to eliminate any gelatinous, rotting, organic matter. Clean pipes and traps with a stiff, long handled brush.

After a thorough scrubbing, flush the lines with boiling water to remove any material left behind. There is no benefit to treating drains with chlorine bleach or ammonia.
Chemical Drain Cleaners

Bacterial drain treatments will biodegrade organic matter. Many common drain and toilet bowl cleaners are effective. If you have a septic system, read product labels carefully to make sure a product is compatible with the system.

IMPORTANT: NEVER rinse a drain with bleach after using a caustic drain cleaner. Mixing these two chemicals in the drain line may produce chlorine gas, which is extremely hazardous to anyone who inhales it.
Insecticides

Once the fly breeding areas are cleaned, the use of insecticides should not be necessary. However, if quick control is needed until breeding areas can be cleaned, insecticides are useful.

The only product labeled for use in drains is Gentrol. Its active ingredient, hydroprene, acts as an insect growth regulator on the larvae. Always read the label and follow directions and safety precautions.

Original Source: https://www.vulcantermite.com/healthy-living/all-about-drain-flies

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