Does Bleach Kill Drain Flies?
WouterBleach is a popular solution to drain fly problems, but this method rarely works. The reason is that it doesn’t penetrate into the drain’s dense buildup and fails to eliminate the drain flies entirely. Furthermore, it can damage older pipes. Bleach is also highly caustic, so it’s not recommended to use it for drain cleaning.
Bleach can be an effective drain cleaner, but it doesn’t kill the eggs and larvae that live in drains. The chemical doesn’t stick to decaying organic matter in the pipes, and it damages the slime, which is a form of gelatin. It may kill adult drain flies, but it won’t kill larvae because they don’t require oxygen to survive. It’s also not advisable to use bleach on old pipes, because it corrodes them.
It would take an insane amount of bleach to kill all the drain flies, making it impractical to use this method. The mixture must remain in the drain plug for four hours to kill any drain flies. After that, it is recommended to flush the drain with cold water. Alternatively, you can pour a mixture of one part of bleach to ten parts of water.
Using vinegar and baking soda to kill fruit flies can also be effective. The acid in vinegar will kill fruit flies and larvae and can also kill drain flies. As a drain cleaner, it can also be applied directly to the drain. This can be done several times a week, for a couple of weeks. However, remember that boiling water will also kill flies.
