We moved into this house almost 1 yr ago. At first I didn't notice the flies. We have a shower stall in our bathroom that is in our room. We noticed a leak and stopped using it. Someone mentioned that I should still pour water down the drain, is this true?

Our sump pump is in the basement next to our washer. It smelled pretty bad, and this is where we are noticing the flies. We cleaned out the sump pump and poured something that I had gotten from Rex Bac T in the sump pump, its an oil that is suppose to eliminate the smell, and it has and I'm not noticing as many flies but they are still around. We also have something around the bottom of the walls of the basement in case it ever floods, it's a black thing with holes in it and its about 5" high from the floor.. im noticing the flies right around the sump pump and the bottom of the walls as if they are coming up from there.. im hoping to god that we don't have a broken pipe under the house as we haven't even been here a year yet.. im not sure what to do next...

I've attached a photo of the sump pump and the wall.. the washer and dryer are right next to the sump pump on the right.. any suggestions? These flies are grossing me out! Thanks!

Hi Kelly, I had them myself in the shower. I don't think you have a broken pipe any where. They just come in through the sewer. Fruit flies and drain flies (also called Moth Flies) will breed in the thin layers of material that accumulate in the drains and traps of sinks and bathtubs and also in floor drains of older buildings, commercial buildings. Bleach and other harsh chemicals rarely work when attempting to eliminate this fly breeding slime.
Products such as Drain Gel and MicroFoam can safely be used in drains where small flies are breeding. The action of these materials breaks down the thin layers in which small flies breed. In older buildings, restaurants and other commercial food handling areas, a drain cleaner should be used on a regular basis to prevent problems associated with drain line build up: odors and flies.
Drain Gel and MicroFoam are similar but you should choose the one that best suits your pest control job. Drain Gel costs less (for small jobs) while MicroFoam saves you money for larger jobs and it also contains a foaming agent that allows mixing with other products while penetrating deeper into drain lines and traps.
For severe or stubborn drain fly infestations, an IGR containing Hydroprene can be used in combination with your drain cleaner. Gentrol IGR is easily mixed and applied to drains and works especially well when foamed with MicroFoam. Gentrol prevents immature flies from maturing into adult flies. By combining Gentrol and MicroFoam you create a very effective foam for forcing down drains when eliminating drain fly or fruit fly infestations by eliminating the breeding source and preventing the emergence of adult flies from the drains. Use a foaming device for this type of application.
For simple maintenance, Gentrol Aerosol can also be used in drains.
You can also take a brush and scrub the drain line down as far as you can to clean out the slime that they breed in. That black thing. Does it run all the way around the basement wall? If so then you may have a french drain installled on the outside. Let bme know if this helped. Regards, Tom

Hi Tom,
Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Where should I put this stuff? Do I put it in the Sump pump? I think that the flies are also creeping up the wall behind that black stuff around the floor. We had scrubbed the sump pump last weekend and it was just awful. The smell was terrible. These flies so creeping me out!

Depending on what you purchase you spray it around and into the infected areas. Google some of the prodxucts and check them out. Good luck. Tom

Kelly, I have the same problem. I did have a broken crap pipe but that has since been replaced. It was on the interior of the house. I had over 60 feet replaced with PVC. I still have the flies and they are now living in my basement waterproofing liner. There has not been anything that I have been able to do. I have used everything exterminators and all. They just keep coming back. I am going insance. I do have some control with glue traps but this has cost me at least 5 grand so far. I wish I could get rid of them once and for all.

I'd start bleaching the heck out of that sump and primeter drain. The perimeter things is sometimes called a Beaver dam, it catches seepage at the foundation and drains it to the sump. In your case its like a roach motel for flies.

I tried the Microfoam and Gentrol and had some relief, however that only lasted about a month. I sprayed this down the black thing that is around the bottom of the wall.. This seems to be where the majority of the flies are coming from. Tom, if I pour bleach down there should I dilute it? Moving into a new home is suppose to be a good time, but this has been so frustrating!

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Tom, if I pour bleach down there should I dilute it?

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No, use it full strength. Here's a little more on Drain Flies.
Moth or drain flies are small black flies which
Thrive in drain pipes and sewer lines. They need
A lot of moisture to complete their life cycle.
Drain flies do not fly well. They tend to drift
And seem to float along more than fly. Their
Wings are shaped like a leaf of a plant and one
Can see hair like fibers on all parts of their
Body which is why they are also called moth flies.
I have dealt with drain fly infestations in
Many homes which start in the sink or bathroom
Shower. The drain lines which have the most
Activity seem to be the ones most likely to have
An infestation. I have also observed that homes
With septic tanks seem most likely to get them.
I am not sure if there is some kind of build up
Which occurs more with this type of drainage
Or if there is something in the tank which allows
These flies to prosper. Although these homes
Seem more likely to get drain flies, once the
Cycle begins it takes place in the home. I have
Encountered several infestations where the larva
Were found crawling out of shower or bath tub
Drains. The homeowners thought they were some
Kind of leach. In fact, the larva of drain flies
Thrive in a slime buildup which is on virtually
Any drain pipe which is used a lot. This slime
Enables the eggs which are laid to be protected
And sheltered. The eggs and hatching larva
Embed themselves in this slime so they don't wash
Away. The cycle of these flies takes around
A month to complete. Don't waste your time with
bleach or other cleaning solvents. Showers and tubs
Which have ceramic tiles may also supply a moist
Slimy environment in which they can live. Sump
Pumps and wet crawl spaces are other environments
Where I have seen them live. Drain flies can be harder
To control than other small flies. Although
There are several products to kill adults, the
Key is maintaining and minimizing their breeding
Areas. This could prove to be difficult and
Ongoing.
Like most flies, there are several products
Available for their control. Use a "SPACE SPRAY"
For immediate relief of the adults. There are
Several to choose from in the section below.
This will quickly control the adults, but the
Secret to getting rid of them is to use a
Product we sell which removes the slime build
Up on drain pipes. By removing this slime, the
Larva cannot develop. This will stop the cycle.
In the "SURFACE SPRAY" section below, look for
The product called SURVIVORS. This is applied
Down drain pipes and will remove the nest sights
These flies need. You may also use the product
Called PT-CYKICK which is located in the same
Section. It is ideal for treating in cracks and
Crevices where these flies like to lay eggs. Such
Cracks will develop around ceramic tile, windows
And grout joints.
Hope this helps, Tom

I just wanted to let everyone know that we did indeed have a broken pipe under the concrete slab in our family room, through a hallway and into our powder room. The line was running the kitchen sink and our washer was broken and everything that went in that pipe was just setteling under our foundation. We had a plumber come out but he said the job was too big for him so we had to call out a contractor.

They had to bust up the concrete in 3 of our downstairs walls to get to the pipe and when they got to it there were drain flies everywhere! They are pouring the concrete as we speak and I CANNOT wait until these flies are gone once and for all! The contractor is charging me $6,000 for everything but we are still waiting to see what will be covered from our insurance... Thanks for all who answered my questions... Kelly

Thanks for the update. It's nice to know how things turn out.

Good luck with it.

Kelly4513, did the flies go away? We have had the same problem (flies for 2 yrs), and discovered our kitchen sink pipe was cracked under our slab in the family room and cracks in pipes under our bathroom(same flr) as well. We have spend thousands (close to 20k) in excavation and plumbing repairs and we still have the flies. We now have an exterminator drilling holes in the slab and using chemicals, but this isn't working either. Can anyone help??

Baby, Go back and read my earlier posts. A two year infestation's unacceptable. I controlled mine with chemicals . My place has been drain fly for some months, It also helped when I had the sewer main jetted out and relined. Good luck, Tom

kelly4153,

We have the same problem. Kitchen sink pipe cracked under our family rm slab and bathroom. Our pipes were repaired in July'08, but we still have flies (we believe they are breeding in the dirt under the slab floors). Did your flies go away after the pipes were fixed? Or did you use chemicals or do something else to get rid of them?
Please let me know, we are going insane trying to get rid of these flies. Thank you

I have these same horrible flies! I feel like they are impossible to get rid of. I think I found out where they are breeding... where the waterproofiing meets the concrete basement floor. I cleaned all the drains and they were still sworming. I glanced over at the wall and seen movement. That's when I noticed a mound of black larve. So I doused them with bleach because this is my laundry area so the bleach was immediately handy. I then went up stairs and got the lcr toilet bowl cleaner and squeezed that down in that crack. My question is... will this work to get rid of them, or do I need to go to the store and buy something else now that I have found the root of the lifecycle. I rinsed the ones I could see down the drain with bleach, then again with lcr toilet bowl cleaner, then again with just clean water. Should I just keep doing this cycle or change it?

Ahh just typed up a long thing and now its gone! Long story short, we had a broken pipe. Had a video drain test done to find out where the pipe was broken. Cost about $7k to fix. Had a public adjuster come out so that our claim would go through... good luck! Take care of the problem asap those things are NASTY!

Kelly- we are having the same issue now and I haven't let them pour new concrete because I'm still witnessing flies literally just coming up out of the new soil (we replaced most of what we could get but not all of it). I am not sure if I should let them pour the cement yet. Did you still see flies after you finished the work and if so, how long did you see them? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! [email protected]

Hello,
We did see a few flies after the pipe was fixed. NOT many though... After a week they were gone.. Such a pain in the neck thing to have to deal with... I feel your pain!

In my case the pipes weren't broken. The pests got in the house through a ruptured wax seal and set up housekeeping in my shower drain. Just wanted you to know it doesn't have to be a broken pipe. Regards, Tom

Hey kelly4153,

HOW LONG BEFORE THE FLIES COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED?

OVERVIEW: Within the past year we got Drain Fly's in my house and they just started to get worse over time so I called in an exterminator who told me that we had a plumbing problem and that why we have drain fly's. So next step we called in the plumber who ran a camera inmy pipes and BINGO we
Have a broken sewer line under my concrete slab (which is under my beautiful
Hardwood floors, of course). So now we cut the area of hardwood needed, then through the plywood,then broke up the concrete slab into a trench then repaired the pipe then filled the trench back in with fresh dirt, rocks, & pebbles, then created the new slab and fixed the hardwood floors and refinished the entire area... THERE I SAID IT ALL, WHAT A FINGIN NIGHTMARE!!

MY QUESTION: How long before these drain flies disappear now that I repaired the pipe and removed 2 foot of dirty dirt below it? I am still seeing a couple flying around and Iam not sure how they are still coming in. All the other pipes we scanned with a camera were not broken. It has only been a week and there are allot less than before the pipe was fixed, but there still are abou 10 a day that we are killing.

ANSWER FROM PROFESSIONAL:
The fly problem should have stopped immediately if, in fact, all the contaminated soil was removed. If you continuue to see fly activity over the next week or so, you may have to have a talk with the plumber. Any contaminated soil will continue to support the fly breeding.

THIS IS NOT THE CASE WITH ME, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE THE SAME ISSUES?

Hi legun and welcome to The Plumbing Page at AskMeHelpDesk.com
If you had read the posts before yours you would know that I just got over a drain fly infestation, You ask,

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The fly problem should have stopped immediately if, in fact, all the contaminated soil was removed. If you continuue to see fly activity over the next week or so, you may have to have a talk with the plumber. Any contaminated soil will continue to support the fly breeding.

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Didn't you realize that when you had all those drain flues winging around your house that you've left all the drains in your house open for the flies to get into and lay eggs. Like you I located the source of the infestation, however, In order to prevent them from finding new breading grounds I had to close off,(seal) tall the drains in the house until I had to drain something. Then I sealed them up again. Then I went after them one at a time . I put up fly strips over the kitchen sink and any place I could se the little critters flying around. It took a month but now I'm clear. The very first thing you must do is find the source, in your case I'd start with the drains, Good luck. Tom