How do I get rid of Drain Moth Flies?
Scientific Name: Psychoda and Telmatoscopus
How to Identify them?
Moth flies are very small, delicate, and “hairy” flies, measuring about 1/16 to 1/4 inch long. They appear yellowish, brownish-gray, or blackish. They hold their pointed, leaf-shaped, white-speckled wings roof-like over their backs when at rest. Their bodies and wings are covered with long, dense hairs. These flies have long antennae with 13 to 15 bead-like segments. The mature larvae measure 1/8 to 3/8 inch long. They live in aquatic environments and have long, cylindrical bodies with a somewhat flattened fore end on the lower side, which has eight suckers. Dark, hardened patches appear on the back of each segment, and they breathe through a hardened, stalk-like siphon tube at the end of their bodies.
Pest Biology
The females lay 30 to 100 eggs in the jelly-like film that covers the stones in sewage treatment plant trickling filters or lines the water-free portions of drain pipes. The eggs hatch within two days, and the larvae complete development in nine to 15 days. The larvae feed on algae, fungi, bacteria, and sludge. They pupate for about a day and a half, and the developmental time lasts from seven to 28 days. Adults live up to two weeks.
What are their Habits?
Moth flies, or drain flies, become a nuisance when they breed in liquids found in drains, dirty garbage containers, and septic tanks. They also cause problems when they breed in large numbers in sewage treatment plant filter beds. Adults are weak fliers and are usually found in great numbers on walls or flying near the area where they developed. They are more active at night and often hover near their breeding site. During the day, they rest on vertical surfaces indoors or in protected areas outdoors. Adults feed on nectar and polluted water.
How to remove and prevent them?
When moth flies or drain flies persist in a structure, they are likely developing in the building or at a nearby source, such as a sewage treatment plant. To control them, scrub the drain all the way to the trap. If the trap isn’t holding water, repair it.
