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 see a tiny creature buzz up out of the drain. Is that a gnat? Then you watch more of them flying around your kitchen. These irritating little guys are actually fruit flies. And if you’re asking how they got in there and what you can do about them, you’re in the right place. 

Why Are They Here? 

Fruit flies exist all over the U.S., and grow 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 drawn to moisture and rotten food, they’ll frequently appear in your trash can, your old fruit and the kitchen drain, which is filled with moisture and little bits of food. Sometimes you’ll see them appear up out of the drain. This can be notably likely if you have a partly clogged sink or disposal that drains slowly. This preserves more moisture and food particles that appeals to these insects and allows them to thrive and reproduce. 

How Bad Are They? 

When fruit flies transfer 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 cause serious cases of food poisoning. 

What Can I Do About Them? 

Because of this bacterial risk, keep high-traffic surfaces clean at all times. Use a kitchen surface cleaner that destroys bacteria. Don’t reuse sponges that can soak up, retain and exchange germs. It’s better 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 likely don’t want to spread insecticide all over your kitchen. Instead, pour boiling water down your drain. Before bed, close off your drains with clear packing tape. Each morning, you ought to see some fruit flies attached to it. 

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

• Wine—Put an ounce of wine in the jar. Add a hole in the lid so the fruit flies can enter. You can also use a funnel or paper cone rather than a lid. 

• Spoiled fruit—Same as above, but using 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 added, which makes it harder 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 avoid attracting fruit flies: 

• Clean your produce immediately after bringing it home. In some cases they can contain fruit fly eggs or larvae. 
• Refrigerate whatever you can. 
• Try not to keep old produce in your house. Buy only what you’re 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 taken care of your fruit fly problem, 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 keep foul air from moving up into your home. It also prevents flies from living in your pipes and flying up from the drain. If your pipe has a leak and is missing a water seal, this can create a fruit fly problem. Run the water and look below for a leak. If you find one, get it fixed right away. Leaky pipes can encourage mold and structural damage to your home. 

You should also call a plumber if your kitchen sink or garbage disposal is draining slowly. This problem not only helps breed fruit flies, but over time the sink drain can fully clog and become unusable. The Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing plumbing team has the equipment, experience and knowledge to determine the problem and solve it promptly. We use a video drain inspector to clearly see what’s happening in the pipes, and a number of methods to clean them, depending on the type and intensity of the blockage. If the problem is the garbage disposal, we can repair or replace it at a price you can afford. We also resolve leaky pipes. 

If you need 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 comfortable. 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.