How To Get Rid Of Bathroom Flies
You go to your bathroom and see a swarm of flies flying around. How did they get there and how do you get rid of bathroom flies?
Why Are They There?
Flies love moisture and warmth, so bathrooms provide the perfect environment. Both fruit flies and drain flies or moth flies can be found in bathroom drains. Drains often have biological matter like dead skin cells and hair. Flies can lay between 100 and 300 eggs daily which develop into adults within a week!
How Large is Bathroom Flies Occurance
To determine the size of the infestation, cover the drain with tape at night. In the morning, carefully remove the tape and see how many flies are stuck to it. Repeat this for several nights. If the tape is still covered with flies in a week, you may need to call an exterminator.
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How To Prevent Bathroom Flies
To flush out any eggs, pour boiling water down the drain. You can also use white vinegar diluted with water. This will not only kill any flies, it will also remove grime, limescale and soap deposits.
Clean all of your drains once or twice a day using boiling water, including the kitchen, laundry, sinks, and toilet. Afterward, spraying soap down the drain will kill any larva. This will kill any bugs instantly and coat the pipes, which will help to prevent future infestations.
What About Fruit Flies and the Rest Of Your Home
If fruit flies have invaded your home, make a trap with a small container, cling wrap, and bait like apple cider vinegar, sugar, honey, juice, coke, beer or wine, or soft fruit. Put the bait into the dish, cover tightly with the wrap, and poke some small holes into it with a fork. The fruit flies will be attracted to the bait but will become trapped, like an escape room with no exit.
You still need to find the source, which could be a sticky spill or a rotten piece of fruit. I had an ant infestation caused by a rotting orange in a bag in my daughter’s room! It is important to thoroughly inspect and clean your home.
To keep fruit flies from returning, wash all produce and fruit, and inspect it for any tears or holes. They like to lay their eggs under fruit skin. Don’t leave fruit out in a bowl or on your kitchen counter. Either cover it, or put it in your fridge.
Discard any food scraps, and empty liquid out of all bottles and cans. Don’t leave dirty dishes sitting in the sink overnight. Clean any spills right away.
You can create an insecticide by adding 10 drops of essential oil to a 100 ml water bottle. Good oils to use are lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, and clove oil. These oils repel insects. You can also spray this mixture directly into a swarm of flies.
Keep all of your garbage bins clean, and make sure they have a lid which can be closed tightly. Clean out your fridge regularly, and throw out any expired food.
Odors attract flies, if you have any pets clean out their litter box. Ventilate any rooms with moisture, especially bathrooms. Run the fan or open the window after you take a shower or have a bath.
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