Why Are There Fruit Flies in My Kitchen Sink Drain?

Has this ever happened to you? You’re cleaning a dish in the kitchen sink and see a tiny creature shoot up out of the drain. Was that a gnat? Then you watch more of them zooming around your kitchen. These irritating little guys are actually fruit flies. And if you’re asking how they got in there and what may be done 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.” Since they’re drawn to moisture and rotting 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 see them appear up out of the drain. This can be especially likely if you have a somewhat clogged sink or disposal that drains slowly. This retains more moisture and food particles 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 lug germs with them. This can include listeria, salmonella and even E. coli. All of these bacteria can cause severe cases of food poisoning. 

What Can I Do About Them? 

Owing to this bacterial risk, keep your home’s surfaces clean at all times. Use a kitchen surface cleaner that eliminates bacteria. Don’t reuse sponges that can absorb, retain and transfer germs. It’s cleaner to use paper towels and throw them away. 

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

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

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

• Rotten fruit—Same as above, but use 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 escape. 
• Yeast—Pour in two or three ounces of water, one packet of activated dry yeast along with a teaspoon of sugar. 

To avoid encouraging fruit flies: 

• Clean your produce as soon as you take it home. In some cases they can have fruit fly eggs or larvae. 
• Refrigerate whatever you can. 
• Avoid keeping overripe produce in your house. 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 prefer to keep windows raised, install well-fitted screens. 

If the above methods haven’t resolved your fruit fly infestation, 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 keep foul air from moving up into your home. It also prevents 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 problem. Run the water and check below for a leak. If you spot one, get it fixed quickly. Leaky pipes can cause 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 attract fruit flies, but over time the sink drain can completely clog and become unusable. 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 obviously see what’s happening within the pipes, and multiple 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 need any sort of plumbing service at all, get in touch with 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.