Those Aren't Tiny Moths, You Have Drain Flies

I've had several people asking about drain flies lately, so I thought, "Wizzie, maybe drain flies would make a good topic for your blog." What a great idea!! So here I am....

Drain flies are also known as moth flies because they look like cute fuzzy, little moths. You can tell that they're not really moths because they only have two wings which categorizes them as a fly. Drain flies are small, but can be seen by the naked eye. They're a grayish-black color.

Photo by Sam Myers (thanks Sam!).

Larvae of drain flies are commonly found in- you guessed it- drains! Other places inside can be toilets, condensate lines for ice makers or loose areas of tile where water can collect. They can also be found outside around faulty septic areas, A/C condensate lines or rainwater collecting areas. Basically, any location where there is moisture and organic matter can be a living area for the larvae.

Often people will see drain flies flying around in the kitchen or bathroom, but not know where they came from. To figure out if you have drain flies coming out of your drains, place tape over one side of the suspected drain before you go to bed at night; in the morning, check the tape for flies.

You can capture adult flies all day long, but until you find the source and get rid of it, you will most likely continue to have a problem. Once you locate where the drain flies are coming from, physically clean the area using a stiff brush and then flush it with boiling water. This will get rid of the larvae and eventually, no more adults.

Update on the boy:

Hubby and I have discovered that the boy speaks Parseltongue. We have been suspecting it for awhile by the sounds emerging from between his teeth and lips, but it was confirmed this week- we found to squished baby rattlesnakes on the road by our house. Apparently they were coming to visit the boy. I guess when he's 11 we'll be receiving his letter from Hogwarts.

The boy still isn't walking, but is getting more confident standing on his own and moving between pieces of furniture. The big thing that has happened is the FIRST WORD- I'm so proud of him! Yes, I know, several posts ago I said his first word was "mama", but let's be honest, he was discovering a new sound. While I'm still thrilled when I hear "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma" I'm now talking about actual communication. The boy now will make the sign for "milk" when he wants milk or as he's getting milk. It's really quite adorable, but I still have to catch it on video. Yes, we've been teaching sign language for common things that he might want/ need to say- milk, eat, bath, sleep/ bed, book, ball, dog, cat, mom, dad, dirty diaper and, of course, poop.