Fruit flies are annoying little pests that can invade your home unsuspectingly. Your kitchen is a prime hotspot for these flies, since they are attracted by rotting fruits and decaying vegetables. Once they have colonized your kitchen, the fruit flies may roam and explore the rest of your home. In fact, they have a special knack for nesting in your bathroom drains and plumbing systems.
The fruit flies are commonly found near the presence of sinks, bathtubs, and showers. They also love damp towels, washcloths, sponges, and rags. Anything that holds moisture can attract the fruit flies, potentially becoming a breeding ground for these annoying pests. Worst of all, the fruit flies are known to reproduce quickly, so they will multiply if you don’t take care of the problem right away.
Have you seen many fruit flies in the bathroom? There are plenty of reasons why they might be found near your plumbing systems. If you are worried about a potential infestation, we will explain the leading causes of fruit flies in a bathroom drain:
Why do you get fruit flies in the bathroom?
Fruit flies are commonly found in bathrooms because they love moisture. A bathroom drain is full of moist organic matter, making it the perfect place for these fruit flies to reproduce. Since female flies can lay dozens of eggs each day, what started out as a few flies can quickly become hundreds of flies. This leads to an influx of fruit flies in your bathroom drain.
The fruit flies are drawn to plumbing facilities that collect moisture, particularly sinks and shower drains. The warm, moist environment encourages the flies to settle and breed. Since the bathroom drains aren’t easily accessible by homeowners, the eggs and larvae often remain undisturbed. The fruit flies will only keep multiplying until you contact professional drain cleaning services.
Fruit flies are attracted to messy bathrooms
When you have a messy bathroom, it may become a hotspot for fruit flies due to the unsanitary conditions. The flies are attracted to the moist towels sprawled carelessly on the floor, or the wet clothes that were tossed aside in the corner. If you don’t tidy up after yourself, your bathroom is going to be the favourite destination for the fruit flies.
As a rule of thumb, you should clean any puddles on the floor and avoid standing water in the sink. You also need to beware of dirty sponges and moist rags lying around. Be sure to wash and dry them properly after use. Improving the hygiene of your bathroom will go a long way in minimizing the fruit flies.
Plumbing leaks and fruit flies
A lack of plumbing maintenance may increase the likelihood of fruit flies appearing in your bathroom. Leaky faucets, broken pipes, and clogged drains are all common causes of fruit flies. If you notice an inexplicable puddle of water under the sink, you probably have a leak somewhere in your plumbing.
Any leaks in your bathroom should be repaired by a plumber quickly. Otherwise, you may end up with a pond of standing water on the floor, which will attract many fruit flies.
Clogged drains and fruit flies
Bathroom sink drains are notorious breeding grounds for fruit flies. That’s because the flies are attracted to the decay and decomposing matter within your drains. When your sink is clogged with build-up, it creates a dirty, damp environment for the fruit flies to prosper.
For this reason, homeowners are encouraged to clean their sink and shower drains regularly. Clogged sinks should be cleared with the help of a professional plumbing service as quickly as possible. The longer you wait to unclog your sink, the more time you’ll allow the fruit flies to breed in overwhelming amounts.
Fruit flies may come from the kitchen
Not only are fruit flies prevalent in bathrooms, but they swarm around kitchens as well. In fact, these flies may originate in your kitchen and then migrate to the bathroom after settling into your home. The kitchen is a high-risk location that attracts lots of fruit flies. These pests love the smell of decaying food and decomposed waste in proximity to your kitchen.
The fruit flies are especially drawn to kitchens with unsanitary conditions. Some homeowners may have a kitchen sink packed with unwashed dishes and dirty standing water. There may also be plenty of rotten fruits and vegetables in unsealed containers. If you don’t clean up your kitchen, you might be encouraging an infestation of fruit flies, which will quickly spread to your bathroom.
Do fruit flies die on their own?
Fruit flies won’t go away easily, in case you’re hopeful that they might die off on their own. Depending on the environment, the fruit flies may last in your plumbing systems for a good number of weeks. Eventually, some adult flies will reach the end of their life cycles and die. However, they may be replaced by new fruit flies in a vicious cycle of reproduction.
The bottom line is that your fruit fly population won’t dwindle until you improve the conditions of your bathroom. You can end up waiting a long time for the fruit flies to die on their own. You are better off avoiding fruit flies altogether by practicing good hygiene and addressing plumbing repairs quickly.