What are these tiny flies that keep coming out of my drain? You may be asking this question if your home has been invaded by phorid flies. Often mistaken for fruit flies because they look very similar, phorid flies-- also known as sewer flies-- are usually seen when there has been damage to sewer lines or if there are clogs in drains inside buildings.

Often when a home or business owner cleans out drains, these flies will seem to disappear, but a week or two later, they come back with a vengeance. It seems like a losing battle; however, there are things that can be done. If you would like to know more about these flies and some do-it-yourself strategies to get rid of them, you have come to the right place.

Phorid Fly Facts (Try saying that three times fast!):

These small, brown to blackish flies walk in an erratic, jerky way and often collect at windows or remain close to their breeding sites. They are known to be filthy creatures because of the areas where they are hatched and where they frequent, namely nasty pipes and sewers. The immature stages of phorid flies live on organic matter found in clogged drains. Because of this, they can often be found in places such as hospitals and nursing homes. These places are likely to have drains which contain a large amount of organic matter such as feces and blood. They are also likely to be found in large numbers where sewer lines have been broken.

What do I do now that these nasty flies have invaded my home?

• Positively identify the fly. Wrong identification can lead to ineffective treatment and additional headache. No one needs that. Looking up images online can help in identifying which type of fly you're dealing with.

• Clean breeding areas and areas that might be breeding sites. Once you have located where the flies are coming from, use a bio-cleaning product to clean out those areas. Foaming products are preferred as they can reach and stick to hard-to-clean places where larvae can be easily missed with the use of other substances. Foaming bio-cleaning products work best. Apply foam around appliances, under floor mats, around plants, dumpsters, cracks, and crevices. Do not use boric acid dusts or bleach in these areas because they will prevent foaming products from working properly.

• Pesticides are not a good idea since they only kill the adult flies and don't take care of where the larvae are being produced.

If you are fed up with a fly infestation that seems to have no end, or you are having trouble figuring out where these flies are coming from, it may be necessary to hire a professional. Here at Adams Pest Control, we have the expertise to rid your home or business of these pesky, unsanitary flies. Get help today and be phorid fly free! Be sure to contact Adams. You'll be glad you did.