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 small creature buzz up out of the drain. Was that a gnat? Then you notice more of them zooming around the kitchen. These irritating little guys are actually fruit flies. And if you’re wondering how they got in there and what can be done about them, you’re in the right place. 

Why Are They Here? 

Fruit flies exist all over the U.S., and mate 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 attracted to moisture and decomposing food, they’ll often end up in your trash can, your rotten fruit and the kitchen drain, which is full of moisture and tiny pieces of food. Sometimes you’ll see them appear up out of the drain. This can be particularly likely if you have a partly clogged sink or disposal that clears out slowly. This preserves more moisture and food particles that appeals to these insects and enables them to thrive and reproduce. 

How Bad Are They? 

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

What Can I Do About Them? 

Due to this bacterial exposure, keep high-traffic surfaces clean at all times. Use a kitchen surface cleaner that eliminates bacteria. Don’t reuse sponges that can attract, retain and transfer germs. It’s cleaner to use paper towels and throw them out. 

Bug sprays can kill off the adult fruit flies but won’t get rid of the eggs. And you probably don’t want to apply insecticide all around your kitchen. Instead, pour boiling water into your drain. Before bed, close up your drains with clear packing tape. Each morning, you can see some fruit flies attached to it. 

Here are other barriers you can also use, all involving a jar: 

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

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

To minimize bringing in fruit flies: 

• Clean your produce as soon you bring it home. In some cases they can have fruit fly eggs or larvae. 
• Refrigerate as soon as you can. 
• Avoid keeping old produce in your kitchen. Buy only what you’re most likely to eat. 
• Empty your kitchen trash often, and keep it closed. 
• Keep your surfaces clean and disinfected. 

• If you prefer to keep windows up, make sure they have well-fitted screens. 

If the above methods haven’t eliminated your fruit fly issue, there may be something wrong with your p-trap. That’s the area of your drain pipe bent in a u shape to trap water and prevent foul air from drifting 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 lacks a water seal, this can lead to a fruit fly infestation. Run the water and look below for a leak. If you spot 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 completely clog and become useless. The Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing plumbing team has the tools, experience and knowledge to identify the problem and fix it right away. We employ a video drain inspector to clearly see what’s occurring within the pipes, and a number 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 want any sort of plumbing service at all, contact 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 happy. 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.