Drain flies.

[storminabuttercup]

I suspect we have drain flies, each day I’m seeing one or two tiny flies. They are usually spotted in the living room and fly right at me but I think that’s because that’s where we are most of the time, they are driving me bonkers. Brand new bathroom and pipe work so must be kitchen, I’ve done the bicarbonate and vinegar thing down the sink, boiling water, run cleaners through the dishwasher yet still getting them. It’s driving me mad, I can’t put one of the foaming drain cleaners in as it shares drain with dishwasher. I’m after advice on how to get rid of the bloody things! Help!

Sink overflow? Any overflow pipes? Any drain covers anywhere?

I think you’re doing the right things. You could also try some strong drain cleaner. They feed on stuff line skin flakes, hair, body oils, so you need to focus on eliminating this (ex lifeguard….. swimming pool changing rooms are often plagued with them).

thank you. We do seem to have a fair few outside but drains out there look clear will get stuff down them though.

it’s that they are in the living room that’s baffling, seems to come in waves, couple a day then one day there’s maybe ten, they seem to be attracted to me which makes me cross 😃

if anyone knows a cleaner that can be used when you have a dishwasher I’d love to hear

Could they be gnats coming from a house plant?

I second that, they also like to breed in the soil of house plants.

We have no house plants at all! It’s been going on weeks now I’ve googled everything and did wonder if it was those but they are super quick which I read fungus gnats aren’t

if anyone knows a cleaner that can be used when you have a dishwasher I’d love to hear

You can buy dishwasher cleaning tablets you chuck into the bottom pan of the dishwasher and run on a hot cycle. You need to clean all the filters out first though.

Another thought is have you had your living room windows open recently? They can come from damp flower beds if you have plants directly up to your exterior wall.

Sorry I didn’t explain the dishwasher thing… I read that you can’t put those foaming gel cleaners down a sink that shares drainage pipes with the dishwasher. I’ve ran 3 of the cleaners you mentioned through.

windows kept closed all the time due to my hatred of flying bugs!

it could be that they aren’t drain flies, like I say not seen any in the actual kitchen, but last time we had this it was a blocked sewer down the bottom of next doors garden….
today has been the worst day, I’ve killed 10 so far most I’ve had. Door open for a few seconds at a time at the most.

it’s making me utterly paranoid, nothing smells, no plants, rubbish is taken straight to outside bin.

What is in your living room? Could there be a birds nest on the chimney and they’re coming down from there?

no fire, chimney has been blocked off, don’t even have one on the roof since last year. Carpet and sofa new in December, no leaking radiator or anything, spotted the odd one in the dining room which is open to the kitchen, but never upstairs. As I say fair few hovering around in the garden and next doors this last few weeks, well since all the rain stopped really, only thing different today compared to the rest of the week is I’ve been out hanging washing out but surely they aren’t coming in with me?
cant see anything decaying in the yard, we have no soil or grass just concrete and stones (it’s not pretty at all) next doors is a bit of a dump but can’t see anything obvious. Was out in the garden the other day sprinkling lavender oil like a deranged loon.

i’m becoming utterly obsessed.

That is so odd. Maybe they are eggs hatching from the initial ones you had and once these ones die off you will be clear of them.

My last thought is to check the overflow pans under your fridge and your boiler. Sometimes stagnant water sets in them and flies start.

It’s ok I’m getting too invested as well. I would be the same as you and unable to rest until I’d found the source and eradicated them.

One of the best gadgets I ever bought was a zap bat that lights up and sits on a stand. I just have it plugged in when I’ve had the doors open and all the flying bastards go and murder themselves on it. Get one of them.

Thanks spirit appreciate the help. Husband just keeps saying ‘it’s warm flies are all over and they will get in’ so his total lack of worry makes me worry more. Last week we had maybe 2 days with none at all, then maybe 3 was the most, today as I said there’s been loads.
I’ve ordered some of those window stickers and nothing got stuck
I’ve now ordered some of those traps that are like bottles they will be here tomorrow
I’ve been pouring boiling water down the sink daily for two weeks.
I’ll keep it up and hope for the best
just found some cleaner I think you can use if you have dishwasher and at this point im willing to risk it anyway

I saw those! Think I should get one. Thank you

Thinking about it… we had a workman doing some electrical work on Thursday with the door open two hours…. But again this has been weeks just not as bad as today

Well went a whole day yesterday no flies then just spotted one now. I had a small bunch of dried flowers can’t see them being an issue but they are in the bin now!

Hoping you are past your plague of flies.

We’ve seen one each day for a min or two but not managed to catch it so could be the same one?

it’s still driving me mad though

Put out a saucer with cider vinegar and a drop of washing up liquid. They're attracted to the vinegar but the washing up liquid breaks the surface tension so they drown. This is the only thing that cleared an infestation we had once.

I seem to get teeny tiny flies (midge sized at the largest) whenever I buy herb pots from Tesco.

Six days with no flies then seen one today but couldn’t get it in time to kill it, I’m now on full alert. Husband thinks it’s just normal to get them, surely not

You need to check your overflow is clear @storminabuttercup We kept having small fungus flies /gnats in our bathroom basin and I couldn't work out where they were coming from but suspected them might be living in the overflow. Well, I was right and the overflow was disgusting. It took a lot of hot water, sodium percarbonate (green bleach) mix and various skewers and other long sticks to clear out all the gunk. I've not done my kitchen one as I don't think it has the same issue and the over flow is higher so doesn't get the same amount of stuff going down it.

Interestingly I cleaned the kitchen one last Wednesday! Only seen the one fly since, but they end up in the living room there’s nothing in here!!

Should add bathroom was fitted back in march so can’t be that, and again in the bloody living room!

When I’ve had this before, I put bleach down all drains before bed, and covered the drains over with cling film.

Also check plants, vases of flowers and fruit bowls.

I had these and did the bleach and hot water thing, which helped. I also noticed them around the drainpipes outside the house - I zapped them with this stuff - it took a while to completely get rid of them but it did work. https://amzn.eu/d/0ffrVgad