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Sewer GnatsSmall
DRAIN FLY 1

What are these bugs flying out of my drains? Chances are that if you’re noticing some pesky winged insects either spawning from inside a drainage pipe vent in your basement or hanging out in your kitchen or throne room, you’re dealing with sewer gnats, more commonly known as drain flies or drain moths, about ¼ of an inch in size and, unfortunately for you, tend to come in droves.

Why do I have them? Drain flies are a simple creature. You’ve got build up in your drainage areas and they love to flock towards moist organic material to deposit their developing young’uns. These maggots will then consume this material and grow up to be healthy, happy drain flies, thus repeating their endless cycle.

What can I do to help the situation? Options for speeding up the treatment done for any sewage/piping based pest are somewhat limited, so the next step would be prevention. Limiting the amount of organic material put into your drains, garbage disposals and sinks will be the most important factor in preventing further issues. Other ways to curb a future issue include regularly cleaning/snaking drains as well as using a tight knit mesh cap on any large drainage outlets.

They’re quite annoying. How do I get rid of them? Due to the fact that, in most cases, these pesky pests will lay their eggs in the untouched regions of s-pipes and drainage outlets, handling them tends to be difficult without professional help. We at Budget Pest Control, Inc. use a two-fold Drain Fly Control & Drain Moth Control to control the population in sight and out of sight. Our pet and family friendly Drain Fly Control & Drain Moth COntrol is sure to rid you of your sewer-dwelling houseguests (but not the ninja turtles.)

Call budget Pest Control 24/7 Our friendly informative office staff are here to answer all your questions and provide with a plan of attack along with an estimate and if you wish…one of our certified pest technicians out to your home 7 days a week!

Stats

While it has many titles, the sewer gnat has a single shape. Clocking in at about 1/10th of an inch, the sewer gnat is 1/3rd the size of your average housefly. It has a body covered in dense hair, giving it a fuzzy look. These hairs are a dark grey color, and it has wings of a lighter shade of grey as well.

Did You Know?
  • The sewer gnat is not a moth or a gnat, but rather it is a species of fly.The family which sewer gnats come from, Psychodidae, include some of the most medically infamous insects on the planet. The most important being the Phlebotiminae, or sand fly, which carries diseases to a wide spread of the population, killing nearly 50,000 people each year.
Myths & Facts

TBD (These things don’t really have any associated myths.)

Signs of An Infestation
  • Sewer gnat infestation is usually classified as an outbreak of the insects appearing near a drain, sewer vent or piping channel. A minor degree of infestation means you may see as few as 5-10 at a time, and if severely infested, sewer gnats may number in the 100s or greater.
  • A sewage backup, burst pipes or construction in a neighborhood could all be contributing factors to an emerging issue.
  • Frequent use of kitchen or basement sinks to dispose of organic material causes build-up in the S-curves of pipes, which is perfect harborage for these insects. The regular application of foaming or gel-based drain cleaners can prevent an infestation or even quicken the process of eliminating them.