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Tiny Black Bugs in Bathroom Sink: How to Get Rid of Them?

Bathrooms have one thing that all bugs love, and that is moisture. If your washroom is not well-ventilated or does not have adequate drainage systems, you will experience high humidity there. 

So, if you see bugs or insects in there, there is a high chance your washroom has a ton of moisture that is attractive to the bugs.

Tiny black bugs in the bathroom sink

The tiny black bugs in the bathroom sink are either sewer flies or drain flies. Seeing such bugs could indicate a fault with the plumbing of your bathroom. These tiny black bugs breed in the decaying matter and will often get in your washroom through cracks or drains. Keeping your bathroom neat and clean can resolve the issue.

One of the most common questions pest exterminators get is what are the tiny black bugs in the bathrooms. Those little black bugs or insects you see in your bathroom are sewer flies or drain flies. 

These bugs have wings and have this name because they tend to live in and around tubs and sinks. Several reasons can be part of the answer to why there are tiny black bugs in your bathroom. Here are some reasons to help you understand why.

Plumbing problems:

Sewer flies or the tiny black bugs you see in your bathroom are an indication of plumbing issues. These bugs can guarantee the presence of problems with the plumbing lines of your home. Drain flies live in the sewers. 

So, if your bathroom’s drainage system allows the sewer water to flow in, flies may come too.

Presence of decaying organic matter:

Drain flies live on decaying organic matter. As a result, they breed in sewers and drains. If you do not clean your bathroom drain, you will see organic matter will build up. 

Therefore, the tiny black bugs in the drain pipe will come crawling out in search of more food. Then, you will have a problem with sewer flies and need the help of an exterminator.

Dirty bathroom:

If you have a bathroom that you infrequently use and do not keep clean, you will face the problem of tiny black bugs. Unclean washrooms attract these bugs as they come searching for food. 

Once they find enough food around, they will no longer want to leave. Moreover, their presence will attract more of them, and you will have an issue.

Openings:

Bugs like drain flies often search for shelter and food nearby. So, if there are tiny holes in the walls, they will invite themselves inside your home. 

Therefore, close any cracks or crevices you can find in your washroom, such as cracks in the walls, near windows, etc. Also, keep the windows closed at night as they roam around at that time.

Other rooms:

Pests tend to roam from one place to another. Therefore, make additional notes about any entrance points to the bathroom from other rooms in your home. You can also try checking the other rooms for any signs of pests or bugs. 

Eliminating the source will help prevent more from coming.

These are the most common reasons you may observe tiny black bugs in your bathroom. If you notice there are too many, you can contact pest control to exterminate them for you.

What are the tiny black bugs in my bathroom sink?

The tiny black bugs you may have seen in your bathroom indicate a plumbing problem. You will frequently see such pests in washrooms that are not regularly cleaned and infrequently visited. Those tiny black bugs are called drain flies or sewer flies.

Drain flies have this name because they dwell in dark and moist places such as drains and sewers. They tend to breed in the drain pipes and live on decaying organic matter. As a result, you will often find them coming out of the drain or bathroom sink in search of food and shelter.

If a plumbing problem exists in your home and the bathroom sink drain is connected to the sewers directly, you will see an increased number of tiny black bugs or drain flies. Since they live in sewers, they will find their way out through your bathroom sink. 

Therefore, experts advise keeping the bathroom clean and closing any openings.

What bug looks like a black dot?

Several insects or pests may look like black dots. As a result, there is a high chance people will confuse one with another. Mites, drain flies, and bedbugs look like black dots.

Most mites are harmless and only feed on decaying vegetable matter without disturbing humans. However, some mites do bite and will spoil food stores by feeding on cheese and grain. 

Different types of mites you can find in homes, such as tropical rat mites, tropical fowl mites, etc.

Moving on, bedbugs are found in or around beds, and you will often find them burrowing into mattresses, box springs, headboards, bedding, and pillows. 

They tend to move from one place to another to hide, and their hiding spots include furniture, clothing, luggage, and bedding. Compared to other pests, bedbugs are difficult to exterminate as they thrive in warm environments and stay hidden.

What terminates little black bugs?

If you are willing to deal with the little black bugs yourself, several techniques are available for you. Since it is better to use natural methods than chemical ones, we have gathered a list of natural ways you can use to terminate drain flies.

Boiling water and vinegar:

Boiling water is hot enough to terminate any drain fly that it comes in contact with. However, if you are worried about causing damage to your drain pipes because of the high temperature, you can try using hot water instead. 

Carefully pour the hot water or boiling water down the drain. Then, you can pour some white distilled vinegar to remove any eggs clinging to the pipes. If you want, you can pour hot water once every week to prevent them from coming.

Salt, baking soda, and vinegar:

If you wish to use these ingredients, use them together, not separately. You will have to pour half a cup of salt, half a cup of baking soda, and one full cup of vinegar down the drain. 

You will notice the vinegar will react with the baking soda, and bubbles will form. The fizzing bubbles will be enough to terminate the larvae in the pipes. Leave it for about a day and flush the drain with hot water. 

The hot water will eliminate any sewer flies living in the drain.

Using chemicals to terminate drain or sewer flies is highly effective. However, adding some chemicals to others may result in the formation of harmful gasses, which can be fatal for the entire household. Therefore, it is better to stay on the safe side and apply natural techniques.

How do I get rid of little black bugs in my sink?

The little black bugs in your bathroom sink can increase in number if you do not eliminate them when the numbers are insignificant. Here are some helpful tips you can use to rid the drain flies.

Boiling water:

Boiling water alone is effective in removing the drain flies and their larvae from the drain. Moreover, the high temperature of the water will cause most of the organic matter to flush away and leave the flies with no food. 

You can flush your sink with boiling water twice a day for a week to terminate any sewer flies and their larvae.

Baking soda, salt, and vinegar:

Use all three ingredients together to create a lethal solution for the sewer flies. Baking soda and vinegar will react and expand, creating foams and fizzes. 

As a result, more areas will be free of sewer flies than with just water alone. Leave the solution for a day and flush the drain with hot water. Besides terminating all the drain flies, your bathroom sink pipe will be clean and free of any decaying organic matter.

Soap, water, sugar, and vinegar:

You can use water, sugar, vinegar, and dishwashing soap to create a trap for the creepy little crawlers. Add all the ingredients together and keep the solution in a bowl. 

Then, keep the bowl near the bathroom sink where you frequently see the drain flies. Leave the bowl overnight. In the morning, you will see numerous sewer flies trapped in the solution. You can do it every night till you see the numbers decrease.

These are some natural ways you can use to terminate the drain flies from your bathroom sink. If you encounter a large infestation of tiny black bugs, call a professional pest exterminator to help remove all the bugs.

Final Thoughts

Cleanliness is the key to prevent these pests. Terminating drain flies or sewer flies is easy and does not require any additional items. However, if you encounter an infestation, call for professional help. Also, avoid using chemical methods to eliminate these bugs and use natural ways instead.