Horrid Phorid Flies

[so lucky]

Have you ever had an infestation of phorid flies? They are like big gnats, and love to crawl across the TV or computer screen. They are attracted to rotting vegetation, drains, flower vases. They are very pesky!
We apparently have an infestation that I think came in on some bananas. Every time I open the kitchen compost receptacle, several swarm out. I have started opening it only outside, but by now flies could have found other places to reproduce. Ugh! It's not like I have piles of garbage lying around, but during garden season, we all bring in produce and have scraps from that.
We are catching some with a trap using old wine and a few drops of detergent, but they aren't as crazy about it as fruit flies are.

 

[Smart Red]

Never heard of them, thankfully. Yuck! I sure hope they move on quickly. Nobody need that problem.

Control:
These flies are difficult for homeowners to completely control with any pesticides. The situation has to be assessed and the source of the infestation determined. Is it a clogged drain or a broken pipe? Is it a clogged sewer line or a broken sewer line? In many cases the floor must be removed and the pipe repaired; and the soil around the break has to be removed. Applying chemicals in the pipe will rarely work. The best solution to this problem is to first physically clean the drains—remove as much of the organic material as possible—then use a biological drain cleaner on a regular basis (every two weeks).

 

[journey11]

We had something quite similar last winter (if not the same fly, but I'm thinking the name was different...now I can't remember it). They were slightly bigger than a fruit fly and my vinegar traps that would catch the fruit flies didn't work on them. I think they originated in the wood chips I was using as litter in the bottom of my bunny's droppings pan since we had put him in the basement for shelter last winter. They were so stubborn! The way I finally got rid of them was by persistently trapping them in a stock pot. I'd put a damp rag in the bottom of the pan with maybe a little bit of fruit scraps and set the pan on the stove under the hood light, sneak in of a morning and slam the lid down on the pot and carry them outside. It took several rounds, but I finally got them out and I also treated the bunny's litter with DE. No more after that. They are hard to get rid of!

 

[flowerweaver]

We have them frequently in our bathroom drains. I just pour some bleach in every couple weeks and let it set for a few hours and that usually knocks them down for a while. But I don't see them elsewhere in the house, not even in the compost receptacle. I would start with your drains, because they have to have a place to reproduce and that's likely it.

 

[Nyboy]

I get them in the kennel in summer. Raid fogger works great.

 

[so lucky]

We discovered a lot of them in the trash can this morning, I suppose dining on the few food scraps that were in there. That stock pot trap sounds like a good idea. And I guess we will have to clean the drains. Since my DH has this septic tank obsession--(don't put anything in the garbage disposal; it might make the septic system have to work too hard!)--I probably don't turn the disposal on often enough to get rid of the few food scraps that do end up in the drain. Gotta get more conscientious about that!