Has this ever happened to you? You’re cleaning a dish in the kitchen sink and watch a small creature fly up out of the drain. Was that a gnat? Then you notice more of them zooming around your kitchen. These aggravating little guys are actually fruit flies. And if you’re wanting to know how they got in there and what may be done about them, you’re in the right place.
Fruit flies live all over the U.S., and spread quickly. According to WebMD, “An adult female fruit fly can lay up to 2,000 eggs on the surface of anything that’s moist and rotting. Within 30 hours, tiny maggots hatch and start to eat the decayed food. Within two days, they’re all grown up and ready to mate.” Since they’re attracted to moisture and rotten food, they’ll head for your trash can, your overripe fruit and the kitchen drain, which is packed with moisture and small bits of food. Occasionally you’ll watch them come up out of the drain. This can be especially likely if you have a somewhat clogged sink or disposal that empties slowly. This maintains more moisture and food waste that appeals to these insects and allows them to thrive and reproduce.
When fruit flies move from a dirty surface to a clean one, they bring germs with them. This can include listeria, salmonella and even E. coli. All of these bacteria can cause serious cases of food poisoning.
Because of this bacterial risk, keep your surfaces clean at all times. Use a kitchen surface cleaner that kills bacteria. Don’t reuse sponges that can attract, retain and transfer germs. It’s better to use paper towels and throw them out.
Bug sprays can eliminate the adult fruit flies but won’t destroy the eggs. And you most likely don’t want to spread insecticide all around your kitchen. Instead, pour boiling water down your drain. Before bed, close off your drains with clear packing tape. In the morning, you should see some fruit flies stuck to it.
Here are other barriers you can also try, all with a jar:
To minimize bringing in fruit flies:
If the above methods haven’t eliminated your fruit fly issue, there might be something wrong with your p-trap. That’s the section of your drain pipe bent in a u shape to capture water and prevent foul air from wafting up into your home. It also keeps flies from living in your pipes and flying up from the drain. If your pipe has a leak and is missing a water seal, this can lead to a fruit fly problem. Run the water and search below for a leak. If you spot one, get it fixed right away. Leaky pipes can encourage mold and structural problems with your home.
You should also hire a plumber if your kitchen sink or garbage disposal is draining more slowly than usual. This problem not only helps attract fruit flies, but over time the sink drain can entirely clog and become useless. The Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing plumbing team has the tools, experience and knowledge to identify the problem and fix it quickly. We employ a video drain inspector to clearly see what’s occurring within the pipes, and a number of methods to clean them, depending on the type and severity of the blockage. If the problem is the garbage disposal, we can repair or replace it at a price you can afford. We also clear leaky pipes.
If you need any sort of plumbing service at all, contact the professionals at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Whether we’re warming, cooling or making the water run, we take great pride in keeping our customers comfortable. With more than 4,000 team members, we can deliver and innovate better than anyone. Our can-do family attitude helps us get the job done on time, and right—the first time.
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