Get Rid of Drain Flies in Basement

If there are drain flies in your basement, it’s critical to figure out where they’re coming from. You may have to use various methods to eliminate the drain fly infestation depending on the source.

The drain flies in your basement might be coming from a floor drain, a sump basin, or a major sewer line break beneath your slab. Thorough cleaning, repair and then insect growth regulators are required to solve the problem.

Drain flies tend to congregate around their breeding location since they cannot fly well. Begin your search where they are likely to be if they’re in the vicinity of a floor drain or sump pit.

Drain Flies in Sump Basins

Sump pits are vulnerable to accumulating stagnant water and organic waste. If the pit isn’t flushed on a regular basis, this is especially likely.

Drain flies may breed in sump pits on rare occasions. Thousands of drain flies might be trapped inside a perfectly enclosed basin, yet only a few escape and pique your interest.

This typically happens when a sump pump is broken, has a poor quality float switch or the pump is not triggering often enough.

If a sump pit is not used for an extended period of time, the water inside will soon grow stale. When the float switch is below a particular level, some pumps don’t activate. By reducing the number of cycles, this can extend the lifespan of the pump. On the other hand, this may then result in water remaining for months at a time, becoming an ideal breeding ground for drain flies.

Flushing, pumping, and cleaning out your sump pit on a frequent basis can help you avoid excess water and organic matter from accumulating.

Getting Rid of Flies in Your Sump Pit

Follow the below steps to eliminate drain flies and stop them from returning:

1. Drain Standing Water

The first step in getting rid of drain flies in your pit is to drain the standing water.

The most straightforward approach is to activate the pump. If it is broken, you will need to buy a new one and replace it, or call a plumber to come and do the work.

If the pump is broken and you can’t replace it, the water will need to be removed by hand, which is an awkward and time-consuming job.

2. Clean The Basin

Remove all of the debris from within the sink using a sturdy brush. Organic waste in drains is frequently a breeding ground for flies.

3. Use An Insect Growth Inhibitor

Now you must ensure that the breeding cycle is interrupted before the problem can resume again. Flies can be prevented from breeding by using insect growth inhibitors.

The use of an insect growth inhibitor interrupts the life cycle by preventing insects from reproducing. Adults will perish without reproducing as they age.

4. Keep Up With Maintenance And Repairs

Keep your sump pit clean and free of flies by performing maintenance on a regular basis. A leaky pump can cause stagnant water to accumulate, attracting drain flies to your basement again.

Floor Drains

Flies may also breed in drains or sinks in the basement. This happens when a sink or drain is not utilized for some time and stagnant water has formed.

If you confirm either a sink or floor drain is the cause, you must follow some steps on how to remove drain flies to be sure the problem is fixed. This process involves manual cleaning of the drain or sink, then the use of a microbial drain gel to remove organic matter.

Sewer Line Breaks

If a sewer line break beneath your property is minor, it may go unnoticed. However, this is a perfect attraction for insects, especially drain flies who will begin to feed on the organic matter that has built up and eventually start to breed.

Flies may travel into your basement via a crack between the wall and floor if you have a French drain internal style water management system (common with sump pits).

When the hole grows, you may begin to detect an unpleasant odor, whether it’s outdoors or in your basement. This is the build-up of decaying matter and the stagnant water letting off the awful smell.

The only way to properly diagnose this problem is to hire a professional plumber with specialized camera equipment to seek out the break in the line. Fixing a sewer line break might be difficult and costly for many homes depending on the initial installation location and state of the ground.

You may need to get an exterminator to work alongside the plumber to ensure the insects are eradicated. You don’t want to get the sewer line repaired and sealed back up to then still have the flies underneath your home and be able to breed again.

Related Questions

What attracts drain flies in the basement?

Drain flies are often attracted to stagnant pools of water, like the kind that can collect in sump pits, unused sinks, or broken sewer pipes.

Are bugs in the basement harmful?

Bugs thrive in dark, damp places. Most basements are ideal habitats for insects. Their presence can be an unsightly experience but generally, they are not harmful to humans. Drain flies do not bite humans or pets, so from that perspective are not harmful.

However, their presence is a strong sign that there is decaying matter and stagnant water in your basement.

This itself is cause for alarm because this could be the cause of germs that could enter your water supply or be consumed by children or animals. It’s suggested that the presence of these flies should prompt an immediate clean-up and prevention plan put in place such as repairing and securing your basement sump pump, sinks, drains, or any other sources of water.