How to Get Rid of Drain Flies Using Ammonia? (Explained)

If you are sick of these pesky tiny drain files flying around your home’s drains/sink pipes, you certainly will think of using ammonia in the first place to get rid of these annoying insects as ammonia is severely poisonous to insects.

Thereby, you certainly will want to know the ways to use ammonia to get rid of drain flies.

So quickly read through the detailed and precise explanations ahead to know the answers to your queries.

Will Ammonia Get Rid Of Drain Flies?

Ammonia will surely help to get rid of drain flies aka sink flies or moth flies.

In fact, ammonia is considered one of the most effective elements to repel drain flies because ammonia is a severely corrosive element that gnaws away at drain flies’ tissues and erodes all the cell membranes.

As a result, drains files lose their life right away as soon as they come in contact with ammonia.

Besides, ammonia is not only highly poisonous to insects like drain flies or any other bugs and insects but also it’s lethal to their larvae. So, ammonia will effectively destroy the larvae of drain flies too while deterring drain flies.

However, the rule of thumb using ammonia to get rid of drain flies is that ammonia should be used alone to repel the drain flies effectively.

It can’t be mixed with any other chemicals such as bleach while repelling drain flies as a solution of ammonia and bleach will create chlorine gas which is fatal and harmful for your health.

What Instantly Repel Drain Flies?

There are both natural, non-natural, and commercial products that repel drain flies instantly after coming in contact with these bothersome flying insects.

Ammonia which is basically a chemical proved to be an active non-natural solution that gets rid of both drain flies, their larvae, and eggs instantly.

Bleach is another effective non-natural element to deter drain flies instantly but it may not eliminate the entire colony of drain flies.

There numerous highly effective natural ways are present too that can immediately repel drain flies, and pouring hot water down through the drain once/twice for a week is the best solution to drain files, eggs, larvae, and other organic matters.

Apple cider and white vinegar are the other natural ways of repelling drain flies instantly.

Then comes the very natural DIY methods that can exterminate drain flies immediately and the list of DIY drain fly cleaners includes baking soda and lemon solution, baking soda and vinegar solution, baking soda and salt solution, vinegar+ borax+ salt solution.

There are many commercial drain fly repellents too such as Green Gobbler, Natural Armour Windex, etc.

How To Get Rid Of Drain Flies Using Ammonia?

To get rid of drain flies using ammonia, pour down a few cups of ammonia through the drain pipes and let it stay overnight inside the drain. And then in the next morning, rinse the drain out with hot water. Repeat it every night until all drain flies, their eggs, and larvae are repelled permanently.

A step-by-step instruction to repel drain flies, their eggs, and larvae using ammonia has been included below.

Find The Drain Infested With Drain Flies:

First, do a duct tape test over the suspected drains by placing a duct tape piece on top of the drain and sealing it off for the rest of the night. If drain flies fly to the surface of duct tape and get stuck, it means there possibly is a drain fly infestation down in the drain.

Pour Ammonia:

After recognizing the right drain/pipe infested with drain flies and their eggs, take 4 cups of only ammonia and do not mix ammonia with any other elements. Then pour the ammonia down to the drain/pipe and leave it overnight.

Rinse With Hot Water:

The next morning, boil enough hot water and rinse the drain/pipe directly with that hot water so that the smell of ammonia, drain fly larvae, any dirt, and any other organic material wash away.

Repeat:

Repeat the steps every night until the drain flies and infestation created by drain flies are completely gone.

What Temperature Repels Drain Flies?

Temperature below 32° F or 0° C is considered too cold for drain flies to tolerate and hibernate as drain flies are warm weather-loving pesky insects. So if a temperature below 32°F or 0°C can reach the drain flies, they will be repelled due to harsh cold weather.

What Scent Do Drain Flies Not Like?

There are some scents that this irritating drain flies absolutely doesn’t like. So can use these scents to repel drain flies.

And the name of such scents is listed below with brief explanations.

Essential Oil:

Drain flies totally detest the smell of essential oils and that includes lavender oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, and lemongrass oil.

Thyme:

The smell of thyme is also disturbing to drain flies and they sure do not like it.

Apple Cider Vinegar:

The scent of Apple cider vinegar is another mostly avoided scent by the drain flies as they can’t tolerate the pungent scent of apple c vinegar.

Basil:

Basil has a dominant smell that drain flies despise, so it will help keep drain flies away too.

Cloves & Cinnamon:

The scents of cloves (dry ones) and cinnamon are also two of the most strong scents that drain flies just detest and avoid.

Marigold:

Drains flies can not stand the pungent fragrance of marigold flowers, so they barely come into the area where marigold flowers are.

How Do I Permanently Get Rid Of Drain Flies?

Here, each of the most effective ways has been explained in detail to help you get rid of these annoying insects for good.

Boiling Hot Water:

Pouring boiling hot water down the drain fly infested drain twice (12 hours apart) a day for a week at least is the easiest way of getting rid of drain flies permanently. Because hot water loosens up and washes away all the organic matter and repels drain fly larvae.

Baking Soda And Salt:

Mix1 cup of baking soda and salt. Then pour it down the infested drain and allow it to sit there overnight. The next day, rinse the drain with hot water. Repeat this method until drain flies are gone permanently.

Baking Soda And Vinegar:

Mix a cup of vinegar (apple cider or white vinegar) and a cup of baking soda together, then pour the mixture down the drain, and leave to sit for two hours. And then wash the drain with hot water.

You can replace the vinegar with 100% pure lemon juice as well and make a baking soda and lemon mixture, then use it in the same way.

Vinegar, Borax, And Salt:

Mix half cup of pure borax, half cup of salt, and a cup of vinegar together, pour the mixture into the drain, and allow it to rest for a couple of hours. Then rinse the drain with hot water. The vinegar, borax, and salt mixture will get rid of the drain fly population in the drain.

DIY Drain Fly Trap:

Mix sugar, water, and vinegar together, then add some liquid dish soap to it. Leave the mixture outside for some days near the infested drain to attract drain flies to this sweet mixture. Once the drain flies will fall into the solution, dish soap will trap and get rid of them.

Apple Cider Vinegar:

Take a cup/mug and fill the bottom of it with Apple cider vinegar (about an inch). Cover the cup/mug with plastic wrap and poke some holes through the plastic covering. Then leave it near the infested drain.

The sweet-scented ACV will attract the drain flies and the plastic will trap them, therefore, drain files eventually will lose their life by drowning in the solution.

How To Get Rid Of Drain Flies In Garbage Disposal?

First, ensure that all the disposed but lingering food particles are down in the garbage disposal and then run water to clean the food particles out of the fixture

Clean the pipes using a pipe brush and warm water. Then pour some drain cleaner, let it sit for a few hours, and rinse again with hot water. It will clean any residing residue that the pipe brush couldn’t clean.

Drain traps can halt food particles from going down in the sewage, so clean the drain trap as well to ensure no food item is stating there to attract drain flies.

Every now and then pour hot water to keep the disposal garbage clear of food residue. It will prevent drain flies from coming back and the garbage disposal will get rid of them.

Final Thoughts

The usage of ammonia to repel drain flies is very simple, just pour 3-4 cups of only ammonia down the drain and allow it to rest in the drain overnight. Then, the next morning uses hot water to wash away the drain and the smell of ammonia. But never mix ammonia with bleach to repel drain flies.