Quick, cheap and easy way to get rid of drain flies
Drain flies are horrible! They breed and live off slime and gunk in drains. And they’re almost impossible to get rid off. I’ve searched the internet for various solutions from pouring boiling water into drain, to pouring in vinegar with baking soda, to scrubbing the inside of the drain( Blehh….) I checked with exterminators, it’ll cost about $200 for a visit and they’d need to do multiple visits because these flies can come back. Like… what the heck man! $200 to get rid of these damn flies?!?!?
Being a cheapass and a science teacher, I figured I should approach this like any other problem and use some reasoning to come with the best method of killing these damn flies.
Know Thy Enemy!
Drain flies or drain moths breed in standing drain water and feed off protein and muck. Their larvae and pupa are extremely hardy and tahan very high temperatures.
This means pouring hot water may not always work because if the water isn’t like boiling hot and if it doesn’t hit the larvae on the spot, chances are the infestation will persist. Also, the vinegar baking soda method just makes the drain clogged with carbon dioxide. It’ll probably kill the adult flies and the larvae but not the pupa since pupa exist in this cocoon that’s very protected and require little oxygen.
Also, the drain flies have a life cycle span of 10-15 days. That means, whatever method used must be continued for a total of 15 days to ensure that the entire colony is cleared. If even a couple of adult flies linger, they can easily populate the area again.
Clear the Area
The first step is to make the breeding area as inhospitable as possible. That would mean finding the source of the stagnant drain water. For me, it was simple. I knew where they were coming from because my bathroom had just this one big drain hole. And looking into it, I saw some standing water, but it was impossible for me to clear it as it was too deep and too gross. But if you can, go ahead. I just decided to nuke the buggers!
Weapon of Choice
Drain flies belong to the moth family. We can use insecticides and spray bomb them; but that means a heck a lot of toxic stuff near where I wash my peepee. I seriously don’t wish to expose my skin to prolonged(10-15 days) exposure to insecticide.
I thought the easiest way to kill moths is by moth balls!! Moth balls contain naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene which sublimate. Now, these chemicals are pretty toxic as well, but not as bad as those insecticides. They do the job of killing these flies and preventing the adults from coming back to the breeding ground.
Containment
I needed a way to keep the sublimated moth ball vapours from killing me when I shower, and I need to concentrate the vapours in that area. So I simply placed a plastic container that was slightly larger than the drain vent. This acted as a fly and vapour trap.
These flies come out during the night and they usually just rest on walls. So putting the container there allows the adult flies to rest on the inside of the container while the vapours build up, killing them beautifully and silently.
Results
The results speak for themselves. Day one shows heavy casualty on the enemy’s side. And all I need to do is just refill the mothball near the drain and cover it with this container for the next 15 days. The vapours don’t escape enough that it causes an inconvenience to me while I shower.
The total cost of this… may $2 for a packet of moth balls. I just got this container after I ta bao some food.
Try it and tell me how if it helped for you as well. =)
Update:
So this is my latest Day2 pic.
It’s a little gross looking coz it has hair and dead flies, but it’s untouched and unedited to show you the real results. I realised that the flies tend to die on the inside of the containers and just get stuck there. I’m not sure why, but my guess is that their death was so “soothing” that they kinda died in their sleep, thus they didn’t have the energy or capacity to fly around and struggle.
Posted on September 25, 2014, in DIY, Science and tagged frustration, fun. Bookmark the permalink. 107 Comments.
Update: Day 2 showed lesser casualties. I also found out it is most effective to place the moth ball trap at night. The flies seem nocturnal. I also saw some adult flies that managed to escape the trap, but weren’t able to enter back in coz the vapour was too strong.
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This is genius! Haha! I can’t sleep thinking about my trip to NTUC later and my moth ball tar bao tupperware trap.
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Hope it goes well for you. You should see a lot of casualties in the first few days. After the 15 day life cycle, I would recommend to use a drain declogger to clean out the drain for maintenance. Or you can go home fix to get this ‘ball trap’ that will keep pests coming from drains.
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I’ve been battling this drain fly issue for two years now. It’s been very difficult because the source is from my sump pump well. I’ve tried so many things…hot water with bleach, scrubbing out the well and water/bleach, home defense sprays (several times), bio cleaners, enzyme cleaners. I’ve knocked them down to smaller numbers but they are staying around…some days more, some days less. I came across your moth ball idea and have just implemented this strategy. I put a box of moth balls in a hose sock and hung it down inside of well tied off to exiting pvc pipe. I sealed well off with plastic and duct tape to trap in vapors of moth balls. I hope this chemical vapor bomb works.
Just curious about your battle? It’s been almost a year now for your battle…are you seeing anymore drain flies?
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Hi iiSkipper,
I did get some come back after about a couple of months after I removed the month balls. As long as the month balls are there, it acts as a repellent to the moths. Needless to say, you’d need to clean the drain or sump of gunk occasionally as the build up deposits will cause growth of other nasties.
Things have been moth free now but there’s a smell coming from my drain. I’m guessing it’s the build up of oils and nasty stuff that the moth larvae feed on.
Hope it works for you!
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Thank you for sharing this Chris! You’re a good man, helping with chores!
I have been battling with drain flies (I thought it was fruit flies) and drywood termites (they thought is water-flies “sui-wen” in few Sg sites I found). I am working hard to keep the house clean and dry to be pest free. Difficult in humid environment. Even after installing screen/mesh on all windows. Good housekeeping is a tough journey.
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Hi Jac,
I’m glad you found this helpful. Yes, the drain flies are highly annoying. Just an update, after I removed the “moth ball bomb” when the bathroom was fly-free… they came back after a couple of months.(I believe it just takes a stray fly from outside to populate the whole area again)
I know it sounds disheartening, but I reinstalled the bomb. And this time, I’ve also bought a soap scum foaming dissolver.(I think it’s magic clean brand) So, after the “bomb” process was completed(2 weeks). Every other night, I would spray the drain area with the foam. This clears up their food source, which is oil and soap(made of oil too). It has been highly successful and I have had no problems ever since adopting this simple routine.
Cheers
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Drain flies came back after a year with none. cannot find out where they are coming from,
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Hi cc,
Yeah, they will come back. After you do the “moth ball bomb”, you’ll need to keep the area of infestation clean. That means getting something that you can spray to dissolve soap scum and oils. As long as you remove their food source, they won’t have that much desire to breed there again. Another possible counter measure would be to just leave some moth balls near the area to deter the adult flies from breeding there. You won’t be able to find out where they come from… as in the stray flies may just be passing through… but you will be able to know where they’re breeding as that area will have lots of them. Hope this helps.
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Hi, I’ve just come across your solution to drain flies and think it sounds a beautifully thought out solution. I wonder if any one can help my friend who has terrible problem in her hair dressing salon. Obviously all of the hair that gets suck in the hair wash sink out -flows are the reason she has the problem. She cleans and scrubs by opening up the U-Bend, but obviously never get all of the little blighters! Has anyone have any ideas as to how she could use the ‘moth-ball-method’ (this solution deserves its own name!), considering the salon is open 7 days a week, and any toxicity can obviously not be allowed to affect the clients!
Any help gratefully received.
Lin
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Hi Lin,
Unfortunately, any means of pest control apart from using natural predators will contain some form of toxins.(I’ve tried those “natural” methods too – they don’t do anything)
The moth-ball-bomb method works by eliminating the entire moth colony. After which your friend can just keep the moths at bay by using a couple moth balls near the drain. I doubt it will affect customers that much coz we use moth balls in our cupboards as well. They’re hardly noticeable.
Hope that helps.
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Thanks for sharing Chris! Just to confirm, do you replace the container daily or just wash off the dead moths and reuse?
Also, in my case, I do notice the worms emerging out between the bathroom tiles after spraying it with clorox. Is there any way i can eradicate them as well?
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Hey Terry,
Yeah, just wash and reuse the container. The container’s just to trap the flies and fumes. It should be fine to reuse it because the moth balls just sublimate.
The larvae are pretty hardy. They’ve been known to survive through chemicals, bleach, acids…etc. I have not tried anything successful against them or the eggs. And I wouldn’t suggest using an insect spray because of the close proximity to the shower area.(plus you don’t know if the sprays are toxic to larvae)
My best advice is to stick to the bomb and wait out their entire life cycle of 2 weeks.
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Hi Chris! Thanks for sharing! 3 years after moving in to my HDB flat, we just started experiencing this problem about a month ago. Coincidentally, I found some mothballs lying around. Hence I’m gonna employ your method. Just curious. what’s the exact name/brand of the ‘soap scum foaming dissolver’ which you purchased.
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Hi Sue,
I tried several. In my opinion, those spray type works best because you can get a larger coverage. I use Magic clean. Hope it works for you
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Hey Chris,
Just curious if you’ve ever tried any of these products by Gardner: http://www.amazon.com/Gardner-FW-9-Fly-Web-Trap/dp/B0006OIZN4.
I think I am experiencing a sudden infestation of these tiny, but annoying drain flies. Their wings are closed up, vs open when at rest, so I can’t be too certain if they really are drain flies. They tend to congregate in the walls throughout my room at night even though it’s the farthest room from the bathroom (where they also are at).
Really wanna stay away from using toxic moth balls if possible, but I’m really glad to hear that it worked well for you!
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Hi Francesca,
Maybe you can take a close up pic of the flies? I’ve not tried the product as shown in your link. From the looks of it, it’s a UV lamp with some sticky fly paper on the backend. I’m not too sure if drain flies are attracted to UV light. In my experience, I’ve never really had good results from these UV lamp products. Not all insects are drawn to the light. Some, like fruit flies are drawn to smells… while others like mosquitoes are drawn to heat and carbon dioxide.
My advise is to find the source of the flies first. Then clean out that area as much as possible. Hopefully that will eliminate the nesting ground and you won’t need to use any toxic stuff.(btw, moth balls aren’t that toxic.) =)
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Hey Chris
So glad to have stumbled onto your blog as I was really at wits’ end in getting rid of the drain
flies in my toilet. I am going to try your Mothball method.
Just want to check if you did use Drain Gel – like Invade Bio Drain Gel in which you coat the sides of the Drain and also Aerosol Spray which is to spray into the middle of the air of the toilet. This is because I read to totally kill the Drain Flies, you need to do 2 treatment which is Drain Gel and Aerosol Spray to kill the flying adult flies. I am asking because I am thinking of buying these 2 items but if it is not necessary….then I can save my money and try your mothball method.
Thanks
Madeline
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Hi Madeline, you can use drain gels. I’ve tried them as well but they aren’t effective as the drain flies are pretty hardly.
You can use the drain gel after the 2 week mothball bomb to remove any buildup of gunk that the drain flies feed on.
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Hi Chris
Thanks alot for your speedy reply….greatly appreciate 🙂
1 more question…..I can’t find where to buy Magic Clean brand Soap Scum Foaming Dissolver that you mentioned…..where did you buy it ? Are you based in Singapore ?
Thanks
Madeline
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Yes. I’m based in singapore. It’s easily found in supermarkets here.
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I left a tub of oxyclean dissolved in water in my basement sink to soak a stained dishrag. When I returned later, the surface of the water was covered with dead drain flies. My guess is that they are landing on the surface of the water and the oxyclean is killing them. I had seen them around before but I didn’t realize I had so many. This may be an alternative to the mothball treatment and it doesn’t smell. I also wonder if old fashioned fly paper rolls wouldn’t work. I wiped out an infestation of tiny flies which hatched out of a bag of rice in my pantry that way.
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Hi Chris
I did the mothball method over 2 drains in my toilet + sink for 2 days already and I didn’t catch any drain fly inside the tuperware like your photo. But because I put a Yellow Sticky Paper in my toilet stuck on my tile…it is to catch Drain Flies and I saw my paper has caught the dry flies and everyday, the Paper shows new flies stuck there. My window is also sealed with Insect Screen plus black duct tape to seal off ALL opening.
So, I am wondering where did the Drain Flies come from if they are not coming from the 2
Drains and sink. Do you have any clue + how to solve my Drain Fly problem ? Greatly appreciate your help.
Thanks
Madeline
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Hi Madeline, they tend to nest where there’s moisture so typically in drain pipes. To confirm, you can put tape over the drain coverings completely at night. Then next morning, remove and check for flies. If you don’t find flies there, it could also be at the sinks.
Hope this helps.
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Will this trick work with roaches? I noticed them coming out from my bathtub hole and the smell of mothballs kills me.
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No. Mothballs don’t work on roaches
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Hi superchrisho, in one of your comment I saw you stated something about using ‘ball trap’ to stop insect from coming up. I googled for it and come across in http://list.qoo10.sg/item/DEWBELL-DEWBELL-DRAIN-TRAP-HASTOP-PREVENT-YUCKY-SMELL-INSECT-AND-BACTERIA/441670095
Do you use any of those? Just like mel, i also encounter roaches coming up from drainage. I can just step on them but my kids are vulnerable.
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Hi Chris, I’ve not tried that item you linked. It looks like it might work the same as the ball trap. It should be able to stop the roaches from coming in
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I think they are in my sump pump. How would I use moth balls for that?
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Hi Lisa, I’ve not had experience with sump pumps, but you could possibly tie a bunch of moth balls in a net and hang it?
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I have been fighting theses bomb proof super bugs for 18 months. I have a 100 foot 4 inch grey water system. I replaced everything and they came back. This moth ball method is working ! I used granulated moth balls in old socks over each drain with some kind of container over the drain to contain the precious deadly vapors,weighted with whatever. In the actual pipe I have 3 clean outs. At each clean out I used the actual moth balls in old onion bags suspended by string,these will stay down there all winter. Nothing else has worked but I think this is the final solution. This year they showed up on June first,they don’t like winter so I will report back.I’m in the California foothills so winters are mild. I have tried everything else and found this simple solution……THANKS !!!!!!
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Sorry for the slow reply. I’m very glad it has been working for you! 😊 please update so the community may benefit. Thanks!
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Can the mothball be placed in the drain?or do they need to be put on top of it?
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Hi Kristy, I have not tried putting them in the drain coz they may clog the drain or be flushed down. Also, the mothballs need to sublimate so I’m not sure how the sublimation might be affected when put into water
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Thank you for your sharing your experience and I have forwarded it to my hubby, who gets so frustrated with these creatures. 😄
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You’re welcome 😊
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Hey Chris,
I had given up on the fly situation and was seriously contemplating calling in the exterminators when i chanced upon your blog. Went out immediately to buy the moth balls, Magiclean solution and got down to fighting those irritating pest that have been tormenting me for the last month or so.
It has been 3 days since the “war” started and I have to say that I’ve never been happier to be able to shower in a “fly-free” bathroom! Will continue with the treatment to complete the 15 day cycle. To be honest, i don’t mind leaving the moth balls in the bathroom for the entire month!
Thanks so much for sharing this great idea!!!!
Will definitely adopt a regular cleaning regime once those drain flies are eradicated for good.
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Hi kohgen, that’s great news! So glad to have been able to help so many people like yourself! Yeah, just keep a regular regime to keep those drains free from oils and soap scum and you should be fine. 😊
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Good afternoon, 24/05/17
I tried it on a recent Monday (22/05/17) morning.
With a plastic bottle that contains moth balls hanging within the drainpipe.
Thereafter I sealed the ft opening with plastic sheet and tapes.
Each day I monitor the nos.of flies that crawl around the surface but contained within.
It seems that the smell of moth balls could not kill them.
I will leave the set-up and monitor it.
R Link
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Hi Richardo, glad that you’re trying out my method. From what I understand, you placed the mothballs in a bottle and hung the bottle in the drainpipe. The problem is, when you place the mothballs in the bottle, they will sublimate and turn to gas, that gas will escape only from the bottle’s opening. This will slow down the rate of gas filling the area to create the “bomb”. Also, because of the high concentration of sublimated gas in the bottle, the rest of the mothballs will sublimate slower.
For my setup, the mothballs are very small and usually get sublimated completely within a week.
Hope this helps.
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Hi Chris,
I forgot to tell you that I have kept the moth balls dry by placing an inverted plastic cone on top of the container.
R Link
24.05.27
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Likely it is limiting the rate of diffusion of the mothball gas. The idea is to fill up an area really quickly with the mothball gas. For my setup, the gas gets saturated only at the entrance of the drain. It is the only path that the flies have to get out, so they must pass through the gas. And the container I have is rather small, so that area that they get trapped in will get saturated with the gas very quickly.
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Hi Chris,
Thks for your advice.
Before lowering the container,
I have drilled many holes on the upper perimeter of the moth ball container.
On the 3rd day, I can see sewer flies crawling within the surface.
Regards
R Link
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Keep at it. Eventually, if you continue past their life cycle, it should get rid of them
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thanks Chris! works wonders. best solution so far.
seems like I can’t find the source of the flies as I couldn’t catch any with the set up you’ve demonstrated. however, the set up has chased away flies for at least week before I have to set it up again. I.e. refill moth balls.
well a $1 solution definitely makes sense nonetheless.
next project is to hunt for source of where these flies are coming from. …..
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Hey Ken! Glad to hear that it works for you. Keep hunting for the source. They mostly come out at night.
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I regret to report on 5-28-2017 they returned total =8 flies.. I have redesigned the set up for each drain because the sock would get wet and then there would be little sublimation. The other problem was I had daughter and grand kids over and the drain bombs were removed for 3 days in the bathroom most flies come out of. My new set up is a mason jar over a drilled 5 inch 2 inch diameter pipe. The pipe has a bottom ,I used duct tape. The holes are 3/8 and there are lots of them. Now you can remove the jar ,pick up the drilled pipe full of moth balls,put moth balls back in jar ,put lid back on,and use the sink or tub and never touch any moth balls,. The jar is kept upside down at all times. I changed up for a few drains and used a water bottle drilled the same way. I am bombing all drains because I want total destruction and total annihilation down there ! I for got to add that I started mid May to head off the flies but they returned as it warmed up. I will up date in two weeks.
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Hey killitabdeatit! Sounds like war!! Lol more power to you! Just remember, you need to keep the bomb going for the full cycle(even if you don’t see anymore). Coz the eggs, larvae and pupa aren’t affected by the moth balls. I’m certain warmer temperatures encourage breeding of the flies.
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How long is a life cycle ? I was planning to pull bombs off @ 2 weeks. Should I wait longer ? . Yes, it is war. I also thought of the movie Alien when they showed up again . “She said “We nuke them from space. It’s the only way to be sure.”
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Yes. No mercy. If even one survives, they come back again.
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I read the top of your page. Looks like 15 days is the life cycle ,so I will pull the bombs off @ 18 days and see if any flies show. Additionally, I have used and tried every cleaner ,brush,poison,bio gel,foam , high pressure H20,boiling water,borax,bleach,dawn detergent, many types of drain cleaners,etc. The moth balls are the only thing that really slowed them down.
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Yes. 18 days should do the trick. I’ve also tried all kinds of drain cleaners, boiling water, baking soda and vinegar…. none of them worked. I hope my method works for you.
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I have hundreds of drain flies coming in through a loose baseboard. to be continued …
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I lost my lengthy reply. They are breeding underneath the house !!!!! They are climbing up a vent pipe and then climbing through the wall . I never attached the base boards because I was going to remodel the bath. I am going to send my skinny hired hand down there later today. I will report back. My advice is to really know where they are breeding. I don’t know if they were ever in my drains !!! So glad I didn’t remodel, because I would be tearing it all out. I will not live with drain flies.
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Yikes! Well, at least you found where they were breeding. Dump a whole bunch of mothballs there and tape it up. Nuke them with mothball gas 👍🏻😊
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Update : They are in the sewer line that goes to septic tank . This a completely different system. My hired hand could not find any leaks or holes. I know I have flies in the sewer line and I know they get out and then crawl out through the wall ?? I have plumbers coming next week with camera. When I pulled the toilet and shined the flash light down there they appeared and started to come out . There must be a problem with the old venting in the plumbing. This place is sixty years old and was home built with salvaged materials. I then started tearing out sheet rock to inspect the drain pipe and didn’t find anything obvious. There are no flies in the system that handles the sinks ,tubs,laundry so the moth balls are working. I will report back .
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Wow! That’s a serious problem. There’s a hole somewhere. The flies don’t exist within the septic tank without a way out.
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Yes ,they must have a way out. I’d like to crawl around down there but I have outgrown the crawl space beneath the house. I completely went through my septic system two years ago. I know for certain it is not a tank or leach field problem. I can’t wait to see where the problem is ,but my guess i it is a hole in the vents for the toilet. When I pulled the toilet I was able to expose the 2 inch metal drain /pipe that goes up the wall and out through the roof. If the cast iron sewer line was leaking their would be sh#@** everywhere. So… they are getting out underneath the house and then they crawl up the outside of the vent pipe and then they arrive in the bathroom. We left the light on and they are attracted to the light.Good news is I am going to have a new bathroom when this is all over !
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Hope you get them all.
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The plumber was able to locate the problem. It is the vent pipe ,for the toilet,where it merges with the sewer line.The coupling was rusted out allowing the flies out right under the toilet. Entire vent and new flange for toilet and it won’t happen until I get a contractor in here to figure out the new bath. So glad that we found the source, flies are blocked out with some rags for the time being.
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That’s great! You gotta be careful and make sure you moth bomb any drains now. The adults could have laid eggs in them already.
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The relentless bombing continues.
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Three years late, but am glad to stumbled on your post. My bathrooms suffered a manifestation of these damned critters recently and I’m so going to try this method. Thanks a bunch!!
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Glad to share the knowledge
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Hi Superchrisho,
I don’t really understand how to use the mothball method if the problem is in the toilet…
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You’ll need to locate the place where the flies are breeding. It’s they don’t breed in the toilet bowl. Usually in a pipe nearby… The best way to find their breeding spot is to cover the pipe with tape overnight. If you see flies stuck to it, then you got the spot.
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Hi Chris glad I stumbled on your blog post.I was actually searching for pest exterminator since I am on the verge of giving up. Now I am inspired to try again and win the war! I have recently been dealing with an overpopulation of these flies! I think these drain flies I have are living under the rim in my toilet bowl as well. I get dead new ones every morning when I spray my toilet bowl with insecticide and close the seat cover for the last 3 days. However that means I cannot use my toilet bowl and I have to wash it everyday till God knows when. Would your moth ball solution be able to be applied to the toilet bowl?
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Hi Caroline, I feel your frustrations! I had to battle them for a very long time as well. It is kinda strange that they would be nesting under the toilet bowl rim. I’m not sure how you’re going to have to deploy the “bomb” as you’ll need to trap the mothball gas.
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wow… GOD bless Chris!!! This really works – I’m into this “adventure” about 2 years worth. I so wish I had found this site earlier! I’ve killed up to 110 in one day. 😦 Today after a “bomb” only 15 were killed! WAHOO!!! Our “vent” pipes are up on the roof… is that where i need to drop a few moth balls?
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Hi Laura! So glad this works for you. You can drop some mothballs down the vent pipes but I don’t think it’s necessary. The drain flies tend to only stay near their breeding site. Just make sure you complete the full 14days cycle even if you don’t see anymore dead flies.
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Hi Chris,
Gald to stumble across your blog. I am facing the same problem for the past months.. Have been spraying Baygon at them each day, but a new batch comes back next day.. I am going to try out your “bombing” method.
Just to clarify:
1. You are putting the mothballs (how many roughly?) on the drain top, and cover them up with a plastic pail/tray/cover to enclose the bomb site so that the vapour does not escape right?
2. You are doing it overnight only? Coz my family would use the shower area during the day time..
Please advise.
Kevin
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Hi Kevin,
Yes, it’s as simple as placing a cover over the drain cover with mothballs.
You can do it overnight only, and remove it in the day. It’s just that it’ll be a hassle since you need to keep this going for 2 weeks.
Good luck with it!
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Thanks Chris. Will share my updates. Cheers!
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Hope it worked!
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It sure worked so far (4 days now).
In fact, the flies disappeared after 1 day..
Will continue and update after 2 weeks.
Thanks Chris! 👍
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That’s great!! Keep at it even if you don’t see any flies. Gotta complete through their lifecycle coz the eggs and larvae are very hardy
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OMG. You are a genius. I moved into my apartment a year ago and have been attacked by these flies off and on. For the longest time i had no idea what these flies were, because I had never experienced them in my previous place. I just assumed they were run of the mill fruit flies coming from “outside”. (There is construction and landscaping works taking place in my neighbourhood.) But I live on a high floor, so was puzzled how these flies flew all the way up. And why only at night. And why they keep dying in my soap dish. I’m going to try your method tonight. Thank you. Separately – Have you ever tried using carnivorous plants? Before stumbling onto your blog I was thinking of using a pitcher plant.
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Hi Cheryl,
Just glad my post managed to help so many people all over the world! 😊 I’ve kept pitcher, Venus flytrap a and sundews before. They’re not exactly ideal. More often than not, they may attract MORE insects since they secrete a sweet nectar. Also the Venus flytrap and sundew need full sun. Pitcher plants are like orchids, they can grow in shade.
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Hello!!!
I loev love love the way to put ur story! Omg so funny esp the part where u said “killing them beautifully n silently”. Thank you. Cant wait to kill them all..
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Hi Miss ina,
More power to you!
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Hi Chris, do u put on gloves, mask and goggles when using magic clean pipe and sink cleaner? As per instruction stated on the spray bottle.
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Just use it as stated on the bottle
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Hi Chris,
Chanced upon your blog, just to check, the mothballs you leave it on top of the drain and cover it, next day morning remove it. So basically just during night time?
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Yep. The drain flies tend to come out at night. But it’s also fine to just leave the mothball bomb there.
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Can someone post a pic of these things and the worms please! I’m not sure what we’re even dealing with yet but I’m totally freaking out about the worms I have seen! They started in bathroom and are now in kitchen! 😦
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So you put the moth balls down inside the drain ? I’m guessing the melt away and you add more ? I will try this thanks these things are driving me crazy !
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No you don’t drop them down the drain. Just place them near the entrance of the drain.
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I am trying this NOW!! Operation kill these dam flies‼️🤣
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That’s the spirit!!
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Chris, thanks for posting this to help others, I’m currently battling lots of baby drain flies in a resale flat. I will try your method! Yesterday I paste masking tapes over the drain cover and this morning I saw many baby flies sticked on the tape. I have replaced the tapes today until I get hold of moth balls ☺️
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You’re welcome. I’m surprised my post has still been read and been helping so many people after so many years!!
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it’s a headache to have them flying around. I found another way. Pour hot boiling water into the drainage. They should clear it about two weeks. If the problem is really serious add bleach as well before you pour the hot water.
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Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your war efforts. I understand that you didn’t move the plastic cover at all while you shower. Which means you could shower and have the bomb still in effect for a good 15 days.
How does the water from your shower go back into the drain then? Is your setup not 100% leak-proof? Meaning there’re some gaps form in between your drain-trap (since drain-traps are designed in a ‘sinking’ manner) and plastic cover, thereby allowing shower water to flow back into the drain?
If yes, wouldn’t your moth balls become wet? Will they still work if they are wet?
Do you have to coat the inner side of the plastic cover with thin layer of oil to trap them?
Many thanks in advance
Clare
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Hi Clare,
Yes, the container allows water to enter the drain. It isn’t meant to be watertight. The mothballs work fine when they’re wet. In fact, some toilets use mothballs in urinals to keep these drain flies away too.
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Hi Chris, I am a 14 year old who had to have this happen to me on the last week of school. Now I am going to uses this method to kill these dam flies. The war has started and it shall end with all the enemy’s falling
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more power to you Reece! No mercy!
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helpful, thanks!
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Wow great idea! 👍 Thank you, these things are driving me crazy!!!!!
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Question: Do you have to poke holes in the plastic covering over the bowl or container? Thanks in advance.
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Nope. You want to keep the mothball gas in there so the flies die
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Glad to be of help😊👍
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Thanks again. 😉
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Thank you very much for your sharing !!
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You’re very welcome
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