Sewer flies. Drain flies. Whatever you call them. Yuck!
Are sewer flies coming from your septic tank?
Yes, they can live in your septic tank but despite their name, they aren’t flying up your pipes from the sewer or septic. That would be impossible, as long as all your drains have p-traps and they aren’t dry.
So, where do these small, hairy gnat-like bugs come from?
All it takes is one making its way into your house. Once it’s in, it will find a suitable place to lay eggs and the infestation takes off!
What is the little fly lady looking for in the perfect egg laying environment? A drain pipe lined with scum. This could be from soap, grease, etc.
How do you get rid of sewer flies?
Now that we know they aren’t coming from your septic tank and where they are breeding, we just need to know how to get rid of them.
That’s the easy part. Boiling water down the drain will kill the eggs and help remove the scum where the flies are laying eggs.
If you catch it early, eradicating the bugs may only require treating a single drain but you may need to treat every drain if they’ve gotten bad.
Treatment is as easy as adding boiling water to your bathroom and kitchen cleaning schedule.
You can also purchase an enzyme drain cleaner. Removing the scum from the inside of the pipes eliminates the breeding ground for the flies.
Sewer flies can be aggravating but getting rid of them doesn’t have to be.
