It’s very annoying to get interrupted by some flies while cooking or chopping in the kitchen.
You may have experienced the buzzing of fruit flies or gnats too while enjoying fresh fruits or serving food. No wonder it’s so irritating but what’s more disturbing is their sudden appearance.
Fruit flies and gnats come and go mysteriously. One moment they are all over your kitchen sink and they are gone. You may question from where these disturbing insects come into your kitchen drain and how to get rid of them.
We’ve found out the reasons why fruit flies or gnats are your kitchen drain and we also have ways to keep them at bay. To know the answer, you must read ahead.
Two reasons for fruit flies or gnats in the kitchen drain:
Fruit flies or gnats most of the time end up in the kitchen drain to live and reproduce. Because they like damp and dark places. Fruit flies or gnats are in your kitchen drain because of the food residue too. It attracts them. Fruit flies or gnats can also take over the drain if clogged.
Fruit fly is a non-biting insect that we more or less spot in our homes. These flies are mostly seen around fresh or rotten fruits. They love to live in wet, dark places and can reproduce very fast.
Though these flying pests don’t bite they are harmful to humans. Since they roam around rotten fruits and vegetables, they carry different types of bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, et. from there.
These bacteria can put lives at stake if comes into contact with food or other fruit flies.
Fruit flies are often seen in the kitchen sink or look like they are coming up from the kitchen drain. Their love and addiction to the kitchen drain are for some reasons.
For example:
Clogged drain:
Clogged drain is a reason why there are fruit flies in your kitchen drain. Fruit flies or gnats prefer a damp and dark place to reside and multiply.
The sink drain and pipe are already always damp and dark, top over that when it gets clogged by food or due to plumbing issues, the place becomes more congested.
Fruit flies or gnats prefer such blocked drainage place and starts living there as an unwanted guest.
Rotten food residue:
Kitchen sinks are used to wash dirty plates and utensils thus the pipe and drain contain food particles and residue from those yummy dishes you cooked.
Over time the food gets rotten and gets fungus and bacteria affected. These rotten and bacteria-affected food residues attract fruit flies and gnats to live there. Since fruit flies can reproduce rapidly they multiply and take over the kitchen drain.
Uncovered food around the sink:
All of us use the surface near kitchen sinks surface to cut, peel and keep fruits, and vegetables.
If the fruits or vegetables kept near the sink are not covered the scent of these can attract fruit flies or gnats. Many people throw the peels in the sink after cutting or chopping. Thus the fruit flies find a place to sit and hang around.
Even keeping any food in the kitchen uncovered is responsible for fruit flies around the kitchen countertop, sink or drain. They hide there after invading those fruits kept in your kitchen.
Can gnats come up through drains?
Drain plays a significant role in gnat’s life. This is the plays that is used as birth place for most of the gnats. Additionally, little gnats are born and raised in drains and sewers.
The sewers provide bacteria and sludge required for gnats to live long. All combined, makes drain to be a perfect habitat for grants to live in. Thus these pests turn open shower drain, sewage pipes and bathroom sinks into their home.
You will always find gnats to live around pipes and sewage outlets. Also gnats can come up trough drains.
Where do gnats or fruit flies lay eggs in the house?
Fruit flies are huge headaches for dwellers, especially due to their potentiality of spreading diseases.
These flies spend a lot of the time roaming around fruits and keeps on spreading germs of different diseases. Additionally, these flies irritates people by biting and spoiling dresses.
As much as these flies are familiar in homes, they are also very familiar to unhygienic places such as drains, sewer pipes and bathroom sinks.
As the primary residence of these flies are the places mentioned beforehand. However, fruit flies are also able to give birth indoor.
Gnats are usually fed on fruits, and spends a lot of time flying on fruits. Rotten fruits and parts of fruits that becomes inedible, ate primary place to lay eggs for gnats. When a part of fruit, or the whole of it gets rotten, gnats lay egg there.
Are fruit flies or gnats harmful?
Gnats and fruit flies are not from very hygienic places and they fed on different bacteria and sludge. It makes them highly potent to spread on viruses and diseases. Also, gnats are very famous because of their biting habit such as mosquito.
Primary residence being sewer, drains and sinks, gnats are blessed with diseases. Also, they lay egg on rotten fruits and keep reproduction all. This is one of the reason why gnats prefer fruits over anything.
Gnats don’t make people sick overnight. But presence of gnats and fruit flies indicate unhygienic and unclean habitat. Thus, despite it is less harmful than other pests, we should always keep ways so that we can avoid gnats in the first place.
So gnats and fruit flies are harmful but they don’t result into severe illness. The best way to keep gnats away is to keep fruits washed and covers and drain cleaned.
How to get rid of fruit flies or gnats in the kitchen drain?
Fruit flies or gnats are never welcomed in the house, especially not in your kitchen and dining area. They carry many harmful bacteria from rotten food items and can make people sick with many health problems such as nausea, rash, allergy, etc.
Since fruit flies love damp and dark environments the drain of your kitchen is their perfect place to make a family.
Fruit flies or gnats get attracted to the kitchen drain by the rotten food residue, garbage, and sometimes uncovered food around the kitchen sink or countertops.
These fruit flies don’t limit themselves to the drain only. They fly around the kitchen, and dining hall and keep buzzing over fruits, vegetables, and even overcooked dishes.
You can drive them away but then they are again here to annoy.
So instead of shooing away the flies away every time they appear, it’s better to find ways to permanently get rid of these unwanted guests.
Here are some ways that you can follow to keep the fruit flies or gnats out of your kitchen drain:
Keep your kitchen sink clean:
Always keep your kitchen sink clean after every wash. It may contain food residue, vegetables, or fruit peels while cleaning bowls or dishes. But you must clean the area after you’re done with the washing.
Pour hot water into the drain:
This can be done frequently to clean the pipe and drain. Hot water is very effective to unclog the jammed pipe and wash away heavy dirt and grease. It also can eliminate fruit flies and their eggs living in the drain.
Dump garbage properly:
Kitchen garbage should be dumped appropriately to avoid fruit flies. Always dispose of wasted foods, rotten vegetables, or fruits in a covered bin.
Don’t leave them open uncovered to attract fruit flies or gnats. Don’t throw garbage in the sink.
Use effective cleaning agents:
Deep cleaning the drain and sink is a way to keep fruit flies or gnats at bay.
You can clean the drain pipes once a week with a strong cleaner such as vinegar and baking soda solution or soap water. It will prevent the fruit flies from setting up their home inside your kitchen drain.
Make a trap:
If cleaning or washing the pips and drains are not repelling fruit flies or gnats properly, then catch them all by setting a trap so that you can get rid of these annoying flies for good.
Use apple cider vinegar as it can attract the fruit flies. Pour it into a transparent glass and cover it with a thin plastic that has tiny holes in it. When the flies will fall into the trap they won’t be able to escape.
Final Thoughts
The main reason for fruit flies or gnats enter in a kitchen drain is rotten food residue. Besides, a clogged drain too can attract fruit flies. Garbage that’s not disposed of correctly can invite fruit flies or gnats to reside in the drain. However, by following some tips they can be prevented.