Why Are There Fruit Flies in My Kitchen Sink Drain?

Has this ever happened to you? You’re washing a dish in the kitchen sink and watch a tiny creature shoot up out of the drain. Is that a gnat? Then you see more of them flying around the kitchen. These irritating little guys are actually fruit flies. And if you’re wanting to know 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 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.” As they’re drawn to moisture and decomposing food, they’ll frequently appear in your trash can, your overripe fruit and the kitchen drain, which is filled with moisture and little pieces of food. Occasionally you’ll watch them fly up out of the drain. This can be notably likely if you have a partially clogged sink or disposal that clears out slowly. This preserves more moisture and food debris that draws 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 may include listeria, salmonella and even E. coli. All of these bacteria can result in serious cases of food poisoning. 

What Can I Do About Them? 

Due to this bacterial risk, keep your home’s surfaces clean at all times. Use a kitchen surface cleaner that destroys bacteria. Don’t reuse sponges that can attract, retain and exchange germs. It’s cleaner to use paper towels and throw them out. 

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

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

• Wine—Place an ounce of wine in 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 instead of a lid. 

• Rotten fruit—Same as above, but use rotten fruit in place of 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 much harder for flies to escape. 
• Yeast—Add two or three ounces of water, one packet of activated dry yeast along with a teaspoon of sugar. 

To minimize bringing in fruit flies: 

• Wash your produce as soon you bring it home. Occasionally they can contain fruit fly eggs or larvae. 
• Refrigerate whatever you can. 
• Don’t keep spoiled produce in your house. 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 like to keep windows up, put in some well-fitted screens. 

If the listed methods haven’t resolved your fruit fly issue, there could also 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 wafting up into your home. It also keeps flies from living in your pipes and flying up out of the drain. If your pipe has a leak and lacks a water seal, this can create 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 lead to mold and structural damage to your home. 

You should also hire a plumber if your kitchen sink or garbage disposal is draining more slowly than usual. 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 equipment, experience and knowledge to diagnose the problem and solve it right away. We utilize a video drain inspector to clearly see what’s occurring within the pipes, and multiple methods to clean them, depending on the type and extent of the blockage. If the problem is your 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 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.