Do you have drain flies in and around your kitchen or elsewhere in your home? This article will lead you through the kind of hazards you might expect and how to prevent them.
What Are Drain Flies?
Drain flies have several nicknames, including moth flies and sink flies. They are similar in size to gnats and fruit flies (between 2mm and 5mm), but may be differentiated by their tiny, moth-like wings and spherical, fuzzy bodies. Drain flies are also different in color from other little house flies, ranging from pale gray to black. While they resemble moths, these little organisms cannot fly very far. Instead of buzzing around your property like other pests, you'll observe that they make huge jumps from one location to another.
Are Drain Flies Dangerous?
According to a 2015 study on Psychodidae infestations from Cambridge, particular recorded examples point to specific species as the major cause or trigger for some illnesses. Myiasis, microfilaria, and asthma are examples of these diseases.
Myiasis
Myiasis may occur when these insects infest a non-human animal. This usually occurs through a breach in the skin, or an infection near the wound site. The most common animal subject of this disease is the domestic chicken, which mostly gets infected through rough handling and scratching. However, it is also known to occur in other animals, including humans.
The insects lay their eggs on the skin, which hatch into larvae that burrow into the skin, causing irritation and secondary infections.
Microfilaria
Drain flies are linked to microfilaria, which is a disease that affects animals. The larvae of the flies are harmful to the body when present in large numbers, and the microfilaria can cause watery eyes and nose and respiratory problems. This microfilaria may be transmitted to humans through mosquito bites or by human-to-human contact. If a mosquito bites a microfilaria-infested person, the mosquito, in turn, may then infect another person, creating the possibility of an epidemic.
Asthma
The most severe threat caused by drain flies is increased asthma symptoms.
This disease may occur when someone is exposed to large numbers of these insects. Drain flies don't cause asthma, but they worsen the symptoms of it. Asthma reactions can be triggered after breathing in the dust of these drain files when they disintegrate.
How to Deal With Drain Flies in Your Home
Now that you know what drain flies are, here are some tips on dealing with them.
Keep Drains Clean
Remove all the materials that help drain flies survive. Make it impossible for them to breed by keeping the drains in your home clean. You should clean them once or twice a month. If you suspect that there is a clog, seek professional help.
Use Drain Fly Traps
There are a few drain fly traps in the market, but we cannot call them a method to get rid of them completely. The only thing that these traps really do is catch the drain flies temporarily.
Clean up Food Scraps
Keep all the food scraps from your kitchen in a trash can and ensure that it has a tight lid. Local wildlife will probably not eat the scraps, but drain flies love the smell.
Bathroom Safety
Maintain the bathroom's cleanliness by keeping hair and soap scum out of the sink, tiles, tub, and even the toilet bowl.
Drain flies love the organic material that is present in the bathroom. As a result, you may notice them coming out of your toilet or tub drain. It is critical to keep the bathroom clean to avoid these insects. Learn more about dealing with pesky drain flies here.
Conclusion
If you have drain flies in your home, then you should know that they do not need to be there. Clean your drains regularly and keep your home free of unwanted organic material and food scraps. Keep drains clean, and your home will be free of drain flies.
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