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 notice a tiny creature buzz up out of the drain. Is that a gnat? Then you see more of them zooming around your kitchen. These annoying 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 live 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 lured by 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 little bits of food. In some cases you’ll notice them appear up out of the drain. This can be notably frustrating if you have a somewhat clogged sink or disposal that empties slowly. This preserves more moisture and food debris that attracts 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 bring germs with them. This may include listeria, salmonella and even E. coli. All of these bacteria can lead to severe cases of food poisoning. 

What Can I Do About Them? 

Owing to this bacterial exposure, keep your home’s 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 best to use paper towels and dispose of them. 

Bug sprays can eliminate the adult fruit flies but won’t destroy the eggs. And you likely don’t want to spread insecticide all throughout your kitchen. Instead, run boiling water into your drain. Before bed, block off your drains with clear packing tape. Each morning, you should see some fruit flies attached to it. 

Here are other ideas you can also attempt, all utilizing a jar: 

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

• Old fruit—Same as above, but use rotten fruit rather than wine. 
• Apple cider vinegar—Same as above but you’ll use apple cider vinegar. 
• Apple cider vinegar and dish soap—Same as above with dish liquid added, 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 prevent bringing in fruit flies: 

• Wash your produce immediately after bringing it home. Sometimes they can have fruit fly eggs or larvae. 
• Refrigerate whatever you can. 
• Try not to keep overripe produce in your home. 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 raised, put in some well-fitted screens. 

If the listed methods haven’t eliminated your fruit fly infestation, there could also be something wrong with your p-trap. That’s the part of your drain pipe bent in a u shape to hold water and stop foul air from moving up into your home. It also stops flies from surviving in your pipes and flying up out of the drain. If your pipe has a leak and lacks a water seal, this can produce a fruit fly infestation. Run the water and check below for a leak. If you spot one, get it fixed quickly. 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 more slowly than usual. This problem not only helps attract fruit flies, but over time the sink drain can entirely clog and become inoperable. The Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing plumbing team has the tools, experience and know-how to identify the problem and resolve it right away. We utilize a video drain inspector to clearly see what’s occurring inside the pipes, and multiple methods to clean them, depending on the type and intensity of the blockage. If the problem is a garbage disposal, we can repair or replace it at a price you can afford. We also handle 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.