| Appearance |
 Hairy
or fuzzy,
resembling a tiny moth; black or
brown. About 1/4-inch. |
| Habitat |
|
Drain flies breed in heavily
decaying organic matter
that remains fairly wet. They are commonly found in sewage treatment
facilities. In other commercial buildings they are often seen in
restrooms, mop
closets and boiler rooms, breeding in drain traps, sump pumps, and any
very
wet, poorly maintained area. Drain flies are weak fliers, and indoors
are
usually seen crawling on walls or other surfaces. When they do fly, it
is
usually only for a few feet and then in characteristic short, jerky
lines.
|
| Diet |
| Heavily decaying organic matter such as is found in sewage sludge is their
preferred diet. |
| Control |
|
Finding the breeding sites and removing
them is key to
controlling drain flies. Inspection needs to focus on any place where
wet
organic matter has accumulated, including slimy drains, dirty garbage
cans,
bird baths or feeders, clogged roof gutters, moist compost and septic
tanks.
Clean drains regularly using appropriate drain cleaners or bacterial
drain cleaning
products. |
