Why Are There Fruit Flies in My Kitchen Sink Drain?

Has this ever happened to you? You’re scrubbing a dish in the kitchen sink and watch a tiny creature fly up out of the drain. Was that a gnat? Then you watch more of them buzzing around the kitchen. These aggravating little guys are actually fruit flies. And if you’re wanting to know how they got in there and what you can do about them, you’re in the right place. 

Why Are They Here? 

Fruit flies survive all over the U.S., and spread 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.” Because they’re lured by moisture and decomposing food, they’ll often end up in your trash can, your rotten fruit and the kitchen drain, which is filled with moisture and small bits of food. In some cases you’ll watch them appear up out of the drain. This can be particularly frustrating if you have a somewhat clogged sink or disposal that drains slowly. This maintains more moisture and food debris that draws these insects and lets them thrive and reproduce. 

How Bad Are They? 

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

What Can I Do About Them? 

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

Bug sprays can kill the adult fruit flies but won’t kill the eggs. And you probably don’t want to spread insecticide all around your kitchen. Instead, put boiling water down your drain. Before bed, close off your drains with clear packing tape. In the morning, you ought to see some fruit flies stuck to it. 

Here are other traps you can also try, all involving a jar: 

• Wine—Place an ounce of wine inside the jar. Add a hole in the lid so the fruit flies can access the wine. You can also utilize a funnel or paper cone rather than a lid. 

• Spoiled fruit—Same as above, but with rotten fruit rather than wine. 
• Apple cider vinegar—Same as above but with apple cider vinegar. 
• Apple cider vinegar and dish soap—Same as above with dish liquid in addition, which makes it more difficult for flies to break free. 
• Yeast—Pour in two or three ounces of water, one packet of activated dry yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. 

To prevent attracting fruit flies: 

• Wash your produce as soon as you take it home. Occasionally they can contain fruit fly eggs or larvae. 
• Refrigerate as soon as you can. 
• Don’t keep old produce in your kitchen. Buy only what you’re going to eat. 
• Empty your kitchen trash often, and keep it closed. 
• Keep your surfaces clean and disinfected. 

• If you want to keep windows open, install well-fitted screens. 

If the above methods haven’t resolved your fruit fly issue, there may be a problem with your p-trap. That’s the section of your drain pipe bent in a u shape to hold water and prevent foul air from moving up into your home. It also keeps flies from hiding in your pipes and flying up out of the drain. If your pipe has a leak and has no water seal, this can lead to a fruit fly infestation. Run the water and check below for a leak. If you see one, get it fixed right away. Leaky pipes can encourage mold and structural problems with your home. 

You should also hire a plumber if your kitchen sink or garbage disposal is draining slowly. This problem not only helps attract fruit flies, but over time the sink drain can fully clog and become inoperable. The Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing plumbing team has the tools, experience and knowledge to diagnose the problem and resolve it promptly. We employ a video drain inspector to obviously see what’s going on within the pipes, and a variety of methods to clean them, depending on the type and severity of the blockage. If the problem is the garbage disposal, we can repair or replace it at a price you can afford. We also clear leaky pipes. 

If you are looking for any sort of plumbing service at all, call the professionals at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Whether we’re warming, cooling or making the water run, we take great pride in keeping our customers 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.