15 Ways on How to Get Rid of Drain Flies | How to Kill Drain Gnats

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Want to get rid of the pesky pests in the sink areas? Try out our guide on How to Get Rid of Drain Flies easily!

Ways on How to Get Rid of Drain Flies

Drain flies gather around standing water, showers, and other spots and can live for up to three weeks. With new eggs hatching as quickly as every 48 hours, it could quickly become a huge cause of stress. This article takes you through some easy ways that will let you know How to Get Rid of Drain Flies 

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Why is Getting Rid of Drain Flies Important?

Although drain gnats do not bite or sting humans and animals or carry diseases, old dead bodies can cause allergies. However, these annoying bugs can be a serious threat to the drain pipes.

Drain flies clog the drain system and spread bacteria from whatever they can lay their hands or wings on. Hence, it is best to know How to Get Rid of Drain Flies. 

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How to Get Rid of Drain Flies

1. Use Boiling Water

How to Get Rid of Drain Flies

Boiling water is one of the simplest methods to address the issue of drain flies. Boil a medium-sized pot of water and pour it down the drain to eliminate gnats and other drain insects. Repeat this method once or twice a week for good results.

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2. Baking Soda to your Rescue

Baking Soda to your Rescue

Using baking soda is another easy option to get rid of drain flies. To execute this method, combine half a cup of salt with half a cup of baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar, and pour this mixture down around the plants or place where these insects are.

Ensure to leave it overnight, and finish by pouring boiling water down around this spot in the morning.

3. Try Keeping it Clean

Try Keeping it Clean Get Rid of Drain Flies

Use a brush and the usual cleaning solutions to scrub around the spots where these flies appear. If the manual cleaning method is followed regularly, it can be a good solution.

Check out our article on how to get rid of flies here

4. Kill them with Sugar and Soap

Kill them with Sugar and Soap
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A combination of sugar, water, soap, and apple cider vinegar makes an effective solution to get rid of drain flies. Mix a half cup of warm water plus two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, and 4-6 drops of liquid dish soap.

After making the solution, leave it in the bowl near the skink. This solution will attract flies, and the thickness of the added soap will trap the flies in the water.

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5. Sticky Traps Trick

Sticky Traps Trick Get Rid of Drain Flies

Sticky traps are easy to catch various types of insects, mostly in the case of larger drain flies. Buy a common sticky insect trap online or from a store, place it around the sink and wait for these flies to get stuck.

6. Destroy the Source

Destroy the Source

There is a u-trap underneath the sinks where gnats congregate and breed. Open and clean it thoroughly so these gnats won’t get a way to breed. Ensure to clean it at regular intervals as the drain flies like a clogged u-trap.

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7. Eliminate Larvae

How to Kill Drain Gnats
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Organic matter in drains is the best habitat for flies to lay eggs. Remove the drain cover and look for thin, tube-like, drain-fly larvae. Eliminate these larvae so they don’t grow into flies in the coming days.

Such regular checks can prove very helpful in containing the drain flies from an early stage and stop them from breeding further.

8. Pour Some Wine

How to Kill Drain Gnats Pour Some Wine
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Stale wine nearly turning into vinegar can be a good trapping trick. To make this mixture, pour some of the stale wine into a small vessel and add a couple of drops of dish soap. Place the mixture near the sink and wait for the gnats to trap in.

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9. Try Salt and Vinegar

Try Salt and Vinegar Get Rid of Drain Flies
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Here is another easy method for you to try. Mix half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of salt with 1 cup vinegar. Pour this in and around your sink and leave overnight.

In the morning, you can pour 2-3 cups of boiling water down the drain, and voila-drain gnats will die.

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10. Give Dish Soap a Try

Give Dish Soap a Try Get Rid of Drain Flies
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Use a dishwashing liquid and combine it with warm or hot water. Add 7-10 drops of dish soap to 2-3 cups warm/hot water. Then, pour it carefully into a medium-sized bottle and spray it in and around the sink or areas affected by the dirty drain flies.

Check out this tutorial to learn more.

11. Try Household Bleach Try Household Bleach Get Rid of Drain Flies

If you are still feeling out of options and cracking your head over How to Kill Drain Flies, use a cup of diluted household bleach.

Add water to the regular household bleach used for unclogging pipes at home in a ratio of 3:1. It should be enough to kill the larvae, and adult flies, too, in a matter of 10 hours to 1-2 days. Repeat the process in 1-3 days if needed.

Warning: Do not use undiluted bleach, as it passes quickly down your drain and can cause serious damage to your pipes. Also, DO NOT try to add ammonia to bleach. It can create a toxic gas that can be fatal if inhaled by humans or animals. 

12. Use a Suction Cup

Use a Suction Cup Get Rid of Drain Flies

It may be time to use some chemicals but nontoxic ones. So, reach out for an eco-friendly drain cleaner that cleans any blocking matter. The drain flies should be gone before you know it!

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13. Try Hydrogen Peroxide

Try Hydrogen Peroxide

Have you heard of the good chemical – Hydrogen Peroxide? It can be a great idea to use this chemical to clean your drains once every 7-10 days.

You can purchase this friendly chemical from any chemist store near you. When you pour it down the drain, it foams up after reacting with the bacteria. Soon it will kill drain gnats and even their eggs.

14. Try Drain Clog Remover

Try Drain Clog Remover Get Rid of Drain Flies
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If you are looking for something that definitely works to get rid of these dirty bugs, buy a drain cleaner like Bio-Clean or Drano. These are the kind of chemical cleaners that can unclog the drain and pipes in no time.

You can use them safely in your home, though check the label for more instructions on how to use them best.

15. Call an Expert

Call an Expert Get Rid of Drain Flies

Sometimes it can be difficult to eliminate these bugs for good as they quickly reproduce, and you may not be alone.

When everything else has failed on our list of How to Kill Drain Flies, it may be best to get help from seasoned professionals. Bring in the experts, and they are trained to kill drain flies effectively using proven ways.

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How to Kill Drain Gnats – Chemical Remedies 

Some pest killers like bug repellants and chemical sprays can be useful in severe infestations. Before buying from any store, you should check the list to know that it kills drain flies.

Tip: Please read the instructions very carefully and check if you can use them indoors and whether they will damage your pipes or not before trying.

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