Have you ever noticed tiny insects in your drain? If yes, chances are you have been subjected to a very unfortunate situation of insects breeding in your drain. The insects make the drains their home, they live there, eat there and even breed there.
The insects won’t disappear on their own and will keep on multiplying unless you intervene and do something to get rid of them.
Today we are going to help you get understand the insects that you could find in your drain and ways to get rid of them.
Common Insects That Live In Your Drain
Cockroaches
Cockroaches are a serious and real problem in Australia.
They are big bugs and people have a tough time getting rid of them.
They can easily be found in your bathrooms or kitchen as they thrive on water and food scraps and love to stay wherever they find their survival tools.
Drain Flies
These are other sink-loving insects.
Drain flies are pesky insects that tend to congregate around standing water.
Unlike their names they can’t fly, they jump and hop to move.
They are commonly called sewer flies, moth flies, and filter flies.
They thrive on moisture and debris and usually hang around drains that are not used very often.
Centipedes
Centipedes are big wimps who freeze in their place if you spot them.
Drains are their favourite place to hide as they are dark which makes it a great hiding spot.
They sleep during the day and loiter around your drains at night. When the master is away, centipedes are at play.
Fruit Flies
These are other very common insects that could be living in your drain. They choose drains to live in as they are dark and they prefer darkness to lay their eggs.
A shocking fact is that fruit flies can lay as many as 500 eggs.
Mosquitoes
They can be easily found in your kitchen and bathroom drains.
They are found in bathroom drains since they gravitate towards body odour, stagnant water and dirt.
The dirtier your surroundings the greater the chances of you encountering them.
What is the impact of these insects?
These insects create an overall unhygienic atmosphere and become a big problem in the homes of the people they are living in.
The primary issue is that insects in your home will likely be spreading disease and creating an unhealthy atmosphere.
“Insects make the drains their home, they live there, eat there and even breed there.”
It is quite easy to notice the appearance of these unwanted guests in your house.
Although they are tiny, they often leave spots and dirty marks, and sometimes have a peculiar smell.
This can be quite embarrassing if you have guests over.
Diseases Caused By Insects
- Some of the mosquito-borne diseases in Australia include the Ross River virus, Barmah Forest Virus, and Murray Valley Encephalitis that is an extremely serious life-threatening disease.
- Cockroaches often spread diseases like hepatitis A, gastroenteritis, salmonellosis, and shigellosis.
- Centipedes can cause serious allergic reactions like fever, chills, itching, nausea, swollen lymph nodes if they manage to bite you.
- There are a lot of other bacterial issues that insects can spread, so it is best to get rid of them to avoid infections.
Insects Breeding In Drains
Drains are an excellent place for these insects to breed in as they are very dark.
The insects easily lay eggs and they keep on multiplying in numbers which increases the risks to you over time..
How To Get Rid Of Insects In Your Drains
Boiling Water
Once or twice a week you must boil water, uncover the drain and pour the water down.
This will help to kill the insects that are present.
For best results, you must continue this exercise for a week.
Vinegar, Baking Soda & Boiling Water
You can mix all these three and pour them down the drain.
This will not only successfully kill the insects but will also clean the organic matter present in the drain.
Drain Cleaners
There are several chemical drain cleaning products in the market, that will assist you in getting rid of these insects too.
Keep It Clean
Maintaining a clean house will reduce the chances of insect infestations of your drains.
Dirt attracts these insects so don’t welcome them in by keeping your house unclean.
When to call a plumber
Reach out to a professional plumber on the Gold Coast when your DIY tricks aren’t doing the job and you’re facing issues like blocked drains or pipes that are harbouring insects.
Hopefully, these tips will be enough to help you in dealing with your unwanted guests, but if not just reach out for help, we are always there for you here at Capital Plumbing.
