Understanding the Drain Fly Life Cycle The drain fly undergoes a complete metamorphosis, progressing through four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The entire life cycle, from egg to adult, typically completes within 7 to 28 days. This relatively short cycle allows for rapid population growth if conditions are favorable.
The main goal of the female drain fly is to find some polluted water and start laying eggs into the gelatinous film. A single female can lay up to 100 eggs after mating. Here's What You Need to Know If you've begun noticing small, moth-like flies circling around your sinks or bathtub, you may be experiencing drain flies.
Fruit Flies, Gnats or Drain Flies - Pronto Pest Management
You need to take action-and quickly-to keep the problem under control. Drain flies can lay up to 300 eggs per day, leading to an infestation in a matter of weeks. What Are Drain Flies? Drain flies, sometimes called moth flies, are common but often overlooked insects associated with moist, highly organic areas such as sink drains, sewage treatment facilities, storm drains, dung and rotten vegetation.
The immature stage or larva is considered beneficial, an essential part of the cycle that breaks down waste into water-soluble compounds. However, the adult flies can sometimes. What is life like for a drain fly? Let's find out.
Drain Flies 101: Must Know Facts for Getting Rid of Them
Read on to learn the complete life cycle of drain flies, and more! LIFE CYCLE Like all flies, moth flies undergo com-plete metamorphosis with egg, larval, pupal, and adult stages. Female moth flies lay eggs in moist to nearly satu-rated organic matter. In an urban envi-ronment, moth fly development often occurs in the slimy organic matter coat-ing sink or shower drains, giving these flies an alternate common name "drain flies" used by many pest management.
Nine times out of ten, a drain fly problem will go away on its own. Why do drain flies keep coming back? Drain flies may keep coming back due to poorly executed or ignored mechanical cleaning; failure to eliminate all breeding grounds, surviving eggs, and larvae; and failure to conduct regular cleaning and maintenance of the drain pipes. Drain flies are also called moth flies because of their fuzzy appearance.
Drain Flies: Identify Them | Find Them | Get Rid Of Them - Backyard Pests
They are dark gray to black and found near sinks and tubs. This fly belongs to the family Psychodidae. Knowing the life cycle helps you fight fly infestations.
Life Cycle: Adult females lay 30-100 eggs in sludge around sewage and drainage areas. Eggs hatch in 32-48 hours, larval stage lasts 8-24 days, pupal stage 20-40 hours. Adults live about two weeks.
Preferred Food Sources: Larvae feed on algae, bacteria, fungi and microscopic animals. This Entomology Insect Note describes how to identify and control drain flies, a common nuisance in and around homes and commercial buildings.