Has this ever happened to you? You’re聽scrubbing聽a dish in the kitchen sink and聽watch聽a聽tiny聽creature聽shoot聽up out of the drain.聽Was聽that a gnat? Then you聽see聽more of them聽flying聽around聽your聽kitchen. These聽irritating聽little guys are actually fruit flies. And if you’re聽asking聽how they got in there and what聽may be done聽about them, you’re in the right place.

Why Are They Here?

Fruit flies聽exist聽all over the U.S, and聽mate聽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.”聽Since聽they’re聽attracted to聽moisture and聽decomposing聽food, they’ll聽often end up in聽your trash can, your聽old聽fruit and the kitchen drain, which is聽full of聽moisture and聽small聽chunks聽of food.聽Occasionally, you’ll聽watch聽them聽fly聽up out of the drain. This can be聽especially聽bad聽if you have a聽somewhat聽clogged sink or disposal that聽clears out聽slowly. This聽preserves聽more moisture and food聽particles聽that聽attracts聽these insects and聽allows them to聽thrive and reproduce.

How Bad Are They?

When fruit flies聽transfer聽from a dirty surface to a clean one, they聽carry聽germs with them. This聽might聽include listeria, salmonella and even E. coli. All of these bacteria can聽cause聽serious聽cases of food poisoning.

What Can I Do About Them?

Owing to聽this bacterial聽exposure, keep聽your聽surfaces clean at all times. Use a kitchen surface cleaner that聽eliminates聽bacteria. Don’t reuse sponges that can聽attract, retain and聽transport聽germs. It’s聽best聽to use paper towels and聽throw them out.

Bug sprays can聽eliminate聽the adult fruit flies but won’t聽get rid of聽the eggs. And you聽most likely聽don’t want to聽spread聽insecticide all聽throughout聽your kitchen. Instead,聽pour聽boiling water聽into聽your drain. Before bed,聽close off聽your drains with clear packing tape.聽Each聽morning, you聽should聽see some fruit flies聽stuck聽to it.

Here are other聽traps聽you can also聽attempt, all聽utilizing聽a jar:

Wine—Add聽an ounce of wine聽into聽the jar.聽Make聽a hole in the lid so the fruit flies聽can enter. You can also聽use聽a funnel or paper cone聽in the place of聽a lid.
Old聽fruit—Same as above, but聽use聽rotten fruit聽in place of聽wine.
Apple cider vinegar—Same as above but聽using聽apple cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar and dish soap—Same as above with dish liquid聽added, which makes it聽much harder聽for flies to聽get away.
Yeast—Put in聽two or three ounces of water, one packet of activated dry yeast聽along with聽a teaspoon of sugar.

To聽minimize聽encouraging聽fruit flies:

Clean聽your produce聽as soon as you take it聽home.聽Occasionally, they can聽contain聽fruit fly eggs or larvae.
Refrigerate聽whenever聽you can.
Try not to keep聽overripe聽produce in your聽home. Buy only what you’re聽most likely聽to eat.
Empty your kitchen trash often, and keep it closed.
Keep your surfaces clean and disinfected.
If you聽want聽to keep windows聽up,聽install聽well-fitted screens.

If the聽listed聽methods haven’t聽taken care of聽your fruit fly聽problem, there聽may聽be聽an issue聽with your p-trap. That’s the聽part聽of your drain pipe bent in a U shape to聽trap聽water and聽keep聽foul air from聽drifting聽up into your home. It also聽prevents聽flies from聽living聽in your pipes and flying up聽out of聽the drain. If your pipe has a leak and聽has no聽water seal, this can聽create聽a fruit fly聽problem. Run the water and聽search聽below for a leak. If you聽notice聽one, get it fixed聽promptly. Leaky pipes can聽cause聽mold and structural聽damage to聽your home.

You should also聽contact聽a plumber if your kitchen sink or garbage disposal is draining聽slower than usual. This problem not only helps聽attract聽fruit flies, but over time the sink drain can聽fully聽clog and become聽inoperable. The聽黑料社区聽plumbing team has the聽tools, experience and聽know-how聽to聽determine聽the problem and聽resolve聽it聽quickly. We聽employ聽a video drain inspector to聽obviously聽see what’s聽occurring聽within聽the pipes, and聽multiple聽methods to clean them, depending on the type and聽extent聽of the blockage. If the problem is聽a聽garbage disposal, we can repair or replace it at a price you can afford. We also聽fix聽leaky pipes.

If you聽are looking for聽any sort of plumbing service at all,聽get in touch with聽the professionals at聽黑料社区. Whether we’re warming, cooling or making the water run, we take great pride in keeping our customers聽satisfied. 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.