If you notice drain flies in your bathroom, then you may be even more alarmed when you find out they’re coming from your toilet. But don’t worry, in this article, you’ll find out why drain flies are coming from your toilet, what to do about it, and more importantly, how to prevent it from happening again!
So if you want to get the problem sorted once and for all, keep reading to find out!
Why Are Drain Flies Coming From Your Toilet?
Drain flies are attracted to three things. Dark spaces, moist places, and places with an abundance of food. So as you can guess, parts of your toilet are going to be a prime place for drain flies to live and breed.
However, you should remember that the actual toilet bowl itself contains too much water and generally will be too clean for drain flies to inhabit for very long. So you’ll need to check other parts of your toilet to find the areas they’re living and breeding.
So you should look in the following areas to see if they’re there.
The Closet Flange
The first place to check is the closet flange. This is the area where the toilet connects to the pipe. And if the bolts have become loose and it’s started to break away, then it’s going to be a prime location for drain flies to breed.
Remember, they’re only small, so they’ll only need a tiny gap to get in and out.
The Lip Of The Toilet Bowl
In some cases, they may also end up living on the lip of the toilet bowl. This is another area that is dark and damp, so it will have a lot of the conditions drain flies need to breed.
The Water Tank
The water tank is probably another area of your toilet that isn’t cleaned as frequently. So when this is the case, if there’s a way drain flies can enter, then it’s going to be another great place for them to start living and breeding.
A Problem With The Sewer Line
Sometimes, drain flies aren’t coming from the toilet at all. And in fact, they’re actually a sign of a more serious problem. If there’s a break in your sewer line, then it’s going to attract drain flies, not just to that area but the areas around it as well.
However, if there’s a problem with your sewer line, there will generally be other signs as well, such as backups, a bad smell, and sometimes soggy grass as well. You may also notice that drain flies are in your basement as well as your toilet when a sewer line is broken, especially when the sewer line has broken under a slab.
They’re In Another Part Of Your Home
Continuing on from this, it could be the case that the drain flies aren’t actually living in the toilet, but they’re inhabiting other areas of your bathroom instead, such as the drains in your sink and shower or underneath broken tiles.
So to make sure you’re removing drain flies properly, you’ll also need to check these areas as well.
How To Get Rid Of Drain Flies In Your Toilet
Now you know why drain flies are inhabiting your toilet, the places they’re most likely to be, and other areas to check; the next step is getting rid of them! Fortunately, getting rid of drain flies isn’t that hard, but making sure you’ve eradicated every place their living can be.
So when you’re getting rid of drain flies, it’s important to be extremely thorough. Here’s how to get rid of them in each area of your home.
Broken Sewer Line
If you think drain flies are entering your home due to a broken sewer line, there’s not much you, alone, will be able to do. If a sewer line has broken, then the only thing to do is call a professional out to fix the problem.
A good professional should be able to find the issue, replace the pipe, and remove the contaminated soil for you. This should, in turn, ensure drain flies aren’t coming back.
The Water Tank
If you notice that there are drain flies inhabiting your water tank, then there are a few things you can do to make sure you’re getting rid of them.
- First of all, you’ll need to turn off the shutoff valve located at the back of the toilet. It will look like a metal oval attached to a hose if you can’t find it.
- Now you can begin flushing your toilet to remove the water from the tank. If you notice that flushing hasn’t removed all the water, then you can pull the chain in the tank, which will lift the flapper, removing the last of the water.
- Now thoroughly dry the inside of the tank. During this phase, you should also look for drain fly eggs and larvae that need removing.
- Once you’ve cleaned the water tank and removed all the drain flies and their larvae, the next step is to make sure they don’t come back. Adding an insect growth regulator is the best way to do that. And a great choice is Gentrol Aerosol Insect Growth Regulator, which will just need to be sprayed around the tank.
- Once the IGR has completely dried, you can turn the water back on and allow the tank to fill again. Just make sure you flush it several times to rinse it.
- And finally, add a bleach tablet to the tank after you’ve finished to help remove any drain flies that could be hiding in other areas of your toilet as well.
The Lip Of The Toilet
If you notice drain flies are coming from the lip of the toilet. Then the solution is going to be a lot simpler. You’ll just need to use a toilet brush to scrub all of the insides. Once you’ve done this, you should flush and then coat the inside of the toilet with bleach to help remove the rest of them.
Toilet Bowl
If the toilet bowl hasn’t been used in a few months, then you may also need to remove drain flies from the toilet bowl as well. Fortunately, though, this won’t be a problem either.
First of all, you’ll need to use a toilet scrubber to scrub around the toilet. This is going to help remove any of the eggs that may currently be stuck. You’ll need to make sure you’re scrubbing them, as they’re quite adhesive, so water won’t be alone enough to remove them.
Once you’re sure it’s been scrubbed thoroughly and all the eggs have been removed, you should then spread a generous amount of bleach around the toilet to kill
The Closet Flange
Getting rid of drain flies from the closet flange can be one of the harder parts, and if done incorrectly, it can also prove to be quite expensive. To remove them, you’ll need to do the following:
- Turn the water off in your toilet, and then keep flushing until no water is left in the tank or bowl.
- Once you’ve done this, unscrew the bolts holding the tank onto the bowl.
- Now unscrew the bolts that attach the toilet bowl to the floor.
- Once you’ve done this, move the bowl to allow you access to the closet flange. Just make sure you’re doing this gently because you don’t want to pull the water hose out.
- Now that you have access to the closet flange, you’ll need to thoroughly remove any mold or muck inside that may be attracting the drain flies. (A paint scraper is particularly effective for removing any eggs that may be attached to the sides.)
- When you’ve done a thorough job, you should pour half a gallon of boiling water into the pipe, which will kill any larvae that come into contact with it. For best results, you can also use Natural Armor Fruit And Drain Fly Killer.
- Once you’ve done this, you just need to put everything back together and flush the chain a few times to make sure everything is running smoothly.
But remember, this task is a lot harder than all the rest. So if you’re not confident in your ability, you should hire a professional.
Remove Build Up In Pipes
And lastly, you should also remove any buildup that is happening in your toilet’s pipes as well. To do this, your best option is to pour something like Green Gobbler Drain Gel down your toilet to remove all of the drain flies, larvae, and eggs. However, if this doesn’t work, then once again, you may need to call a professional to fix the situation.
Removing The Drain Flies Around Your Toilet
Lastly, you’ll also need to make sure you’re getting rid of all the drain flies that are living around your toilet. Fortunately, there are a few different methods for doing this as well.
Kill Them On Sight
The simplest thing to do is simply kill them whenever you see one. Just hit them with whatever is handy, clean up the mess and then move on with your day.
Apple Cider Vinegar & Plastic Wrap
Apple cider vinegar and plastic wrap together make a great drain fly trap. Just fill a cup halfway with apple cider vinegar and wrap it with plastic wrap. Then poke a few holes in the plastic wrap with a needle. Doing this will enable drain flies to crawl in but not back out.
Eventually, they will tire out and fall into the apple cider vinegar, drowning if you keep them there long enough.
Sprays And Repellents
Drain flies that are flying around your toilet can also be killed with sprays and repellents. While most will simply kill drain flies, you’ll also find several that will keep drain flies away from your home as well.
If you’re going to use sprays or repellents, make sure you read the instructions beforehand. And also, make sure you’re spraying them in a well-ventilated area at all times.
How To Prevent Drain Flies From Coming Back?
If you want to prevent drain flies from coming back, then the solution is simple. You just need to make sure you’re never giving them areas where they want to live and breed. Regularly cleaning your toilet and making sure it’s maintained is the best way to do this!
If you remove their food, water, and shade source, then the toilet will essentially be inhospitable to them.
Recap
As you can see, if drain flies are coming from your toilet, there are a number of things you can do to make sure the issue gets fixed. While some will require help from professionals, a lot of it can be done by you.
Also, remember that if you do notice drain flies around your toilet, you should also check other areas of your home as well to make sure they’re not living there too.
If you liked this article, make sure you check out the rest of the website; otherwise, have a great day!
