Pests We Treat Photo Album: Drain fly problem bothers Ocean Township, NJ homeowner
Sump Pump and Stagnant Water Attract Flies
The sump pump was filled with stagnant water and accumulated "gunk." The drain flies definitely liked whatever organic decomposing materials were lining the sump pump, considering the fly population in the basement.
Shower Drain Bring in Flies
Drain flies, also known as moth flies, sewer flies, or filter flies, are small flies, about 1/8 of an inch. They have short fuzzy bodies and oversized wings with noticeable veins that gives them a "furry" moth-like appearance. These flies breed and feed off accumulated organic matter (what most of us call "muck" or "gunk") inside moist drains, sewers, septic tanks, and even soil that has been contaminated with sewage. When the eggs hatch, drain flies will shoot out of the drain or their chosen breeding spot like a fountain. Drain flies are often reported by homeowners in the kitchen (and are often confused with fruit flies) because .kitchen drains are rarely cleaned and become filled with plenty of "gunk" for lies to breed. However, a drain fly problem is not limited to kitchen drains. With this home, there were drain flies in a shower drain as well as in the basement sump pump.
Bathroom sink drain is a home for flies
I treated all of the drains in the home, as well as the sump pump, with a bio foam that effectively removes the organic build-up in drains and suffocates the fly larvae. To deal with drain flies, fruit flies, other pests that commonly breed deep inside drains, it is important for the product to reach the breeding zone. To stop these populations, you have to remove the hidden organic "gunk" that is feeding the fly larvae. Once the breeding source is removed, the adult fly population soon drops. Because the lifecycle of these insects is only about two weeks, it does not take long for drain fly and similar "gnat" infestations to be permanently resolved.