# Phorid Fly problem - tried everything - desperate for help!



## ALS2259

Thanks for reading and I sure hope someone can give me some insight.

I have an ongoing Phorid Fly problem in my house, I have a 1995 concrete block house. I live in Florida. These flies have been real bad since the beginning of the year or so. I've had Orkin coming out for 5 months now spraying foam pesticide down all the drains (two bathrooms -sinks and tub-, kitchen and washer line). They have also done perimeter checks outside the house and have found nothing amiss (no open pipes or sewer openings or standing water, etc.). They tell me they come from the drains and they breed or live underwater but will breed on any decaying matter. 

I have had the foam pesticide which I am told is also a cleaner down all the drains about 5-6 times now. Intermittently I've used Invade BioGel drain cleaner multiple times on all the drains as well as hot water and bleach mixture before that. My pest guy is so stumped that he brought his manager out this week with him, his manager was sure he would find the problem but left completely baffled and told me he would talk to their entomologist and try and get an answer. He was shocked when he saw how clean the garbage disposal was and the drains in general (he was sure that was the problem).

Also I have removed and cleaned out all the elbows and P-joints from under all three sinks. I saw no larvae in any, although some were dirty.

These have been positively identified as Phorid Flies. No question there. AKA humpback flies.

I have also had Roto Rooter out and had them run a camera through all the drain lines and the sewer line out to the street. Everything came back clean and no cracks or openings were found.

Orkin tells me it's a plumbing/drain problem (that they flies are breeding in the pipes and coming from the pipes/drains). Roto Rooter tells me it's a pest problem.

I have no rotting food or anything in the house. The one thing is is that I do have a cat litter box and once she poops in there if I can't clean it immediately they flies land all over that. But I've always had a cat and a litter box and this hasn't always been a problem.

I have been told I don't have any broken sewer pipes or other pipes broken. 1. my water bill has not gone up (from a leak) and 2. there is no puddling or standing water around the house.

There is no compost pile or anything like that that I am aware of nearby. I live in a regular neighborhood where I have been for 12 years. I don't smell anything rotting/decomposing anywhere.

Orkin was just out again Wednesday (2 days ago) and can find nothing, they are totally stumped. They said 1-2 foam treatments and the problem should be solved. I am on treatment 5 or 6.

I have Roto Rooter out AGAIN this afternoon, I'm wondering if seals around toilets or something are bad but I don't see the flies coming and going from there. I'm desperate for help.

The flies are all over the house but they see more concentrated in the main bathroom and the kitchen. We did pull out the refrigerator and check the drain pain, it was dry and no flies/fly bodies were found.

ANY ideas on something we haven't tried??


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## Nik333

I'm not a Pest Control expert. There are a number of posts here on this - http://www.diychatroom.com/search.php?searchid=13989809

Could any of your neighbors be using them against fire ants? 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoridae#Control_of_fire_ants

I was fighting fire ants last year & read about these flies.


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## BigJim

About once a year we have a infestation of flies, and I mean severe flies. We have never figured where they come from but we sure know how to do away with them. We use the shop vac to suck them up, let them die and dump them. You need to stick something in the hose just after turning it off or they will get out.


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## noquacks

May be a pain to live with for a few days, but you can press down into the sink drain baskets a few square inches of mosquito screen. Flies should not pass through (although I have not seen one and have not measured one of course). That way, if it is the sewer/drain, you shouldnt have flies come through. Then go from there.


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## oh'mike

Get Rid of Phorid Flies


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## Nik333

I guess my search timed out. http://www.diychatroom.com/search.php?searchid=13997465


Fly tape, although unsightly, works temporarily. Only a couple dollars. Just don't let the cat get it!

Btw, could the cat have hurt a mouse/rat that died under the dishwasher? Or other places mice go?


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## ALS2259

Thanks for all the comments.

The drains are all clean. I've had a plumber come out with a camera down the drains and the sewer pipes coming in and out of the house. I do not have anything dead anywhere, no smell or anything. Nothing in the walls or attic. All of these have been checked and cleared. This has been an ongoing problem for a long time.

The drains have been treated multiple times by myself with Invade BioGel, and have had 5-6 foam pesticide applications by Orkin. The plumber and Orkin, as recently as a few days ago and previous times before, have verified the skin drains/garbage disposal are clean.

Three days ago the plumber came out again (while I wait on Orkin and their entomologist) and he went up into the attic, looked at the vents on the roof, walked around house - nothing. No odor or anything amiss.

He did say he saw some flies in the cleanout pipe for the AC handler in the garage that empties out into the yard. We flushed this out Friday (3 days ago) but flies still present in the house. So not sure if the ones he saw were just flying by in the garage or if they can even get into the house in such huge quantities from the AC air handler drainpipe.

While the plumber was out we also removed all the toilets and they were clean where they sit on the ground, no flies visible, and the pipe from the toilet into the ground was clear of debris. He did re-seal the "wax" ring and re-set all toilets.

I'm still at a loss. I spoke with my neighbors and one has the flies they say real bad and the other says they get them seasonally but not too bad. Could this be something coming from the city lines? The plumber took the camera through the pipes to the city hookup spot and all was clear.

These flies are not around really at night/morning but appear daily in the daytime.

Doing the tape on the drains won't tell me anything, all the pipes are connected and we are pretty sure they are coming from there anyway, or the sewer lines but everything is clean and no odor/etc....

And yes I have multiple fly strips and containers with vinegar/dish soap throughout the house and this kills the ones that land on them but is not and has not solved the problem. These flies have been around for over a year and real bad the last few months...

Thanks again, still hoping someone has an idea I haven't thought of yet.


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## ALS2259

One thing we have not done but don't think is necessary is to do a "smoke" test and see if there is any methane gas "trapped" within the walls of the house, I guess they come in and put smoke into the vents and see if any escapes, but the plumber said you would definitely smell the methane in the house and there is zero odor.


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## Nik333

You mention no odor, a lot. I have a curse of a good nose, but don't smell the small animals my cats kill. Not sure why. I have to find them. Or see them tossing them in the air.

Did you try the County? Not sure if it would be Environmental Health, but they could tell you, who could help, or refer you to the State. They helped me tremendously with the fireants. Although, the plumber spoke to the company entomologist, you are providing a ready source of income to them. . .

Sounds like a difficult problem. I wish you luck!:wink2:


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## Nik333

One other not so pleasant thought - in the hospital, we only saw flies if the heat had to be kept higher in the patient's room. With heat, humidity and decay, flies magically appeared. So a cooler, drier environment in the house might help.

You might also want to ask Public Health. You never know what is going on with elderly or ill neighbors and their homes. No one has mentioned just how far these flies fly!


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## spaceman spif

Do you have an aquarium by any chance? I had small flies showing up in my basement and was scratching my head trying to figure out where they were coming from. Turned out they were breeding underneath the lid of the filter in my daughter's pet turtle tank!


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## ALS2259

Thanks again.

No aquarium. 

I mean I've had the pest company out multiple times and they have done a routine whole home inspection and found nothing. There is no odor anywhere. The plumber has been out twice and in the attic and removed and replaced both toilets and nada. Nothing stinks and my cat is in no way responsible for killing - anything. Concert block house with no crawlspace and no basement.

I live in a single-family house and I know my neighbors and no one is elderly and if there is a corpse nearby it's been rotting for over a year since that's how long these flies have been coming and going.

I have city water and that's my next step to call them but I am sure that will be a hassle. Especially since everything underground on my end is clean you would think the camera would see something.

And yes I have thought more than once that Orkin is giving me the run around and just spraying plain foam in the sinks and not pesticide.


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## ALS2259

Oh and have central air and the AC is on. About 78-79 in the house.


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## Nik333

ALS2259 said:


> Oh and have central air and the AC is on. About 78-79 in the house.


Possibly try a little cooler? We kept the patients' rooms ( that ended up with flies) at 80 degrees if they had a need for tissue perfusion after surgery. If you've ever noticed, hospitals are cool & ORs are cold, specifically to discourage microbial & bug growth.

I'll never forget the *hundreds* of flies that covered my farmhouse window, on the outside, when the weather suddenly turned cold. They were seeking warmth.


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## spaceman spif

Nik333 said:


> Possibly try a little cooler? We kept the patients' rooms ( that ended up with flies) at 80 degrees if they had a need for tissue perfusion after surgery. If you've ever noticed, hospitals are cool & ORs are cold, specifically to discourage microbial & bug growth.
> 
> I'll never forget the *hundreds* of flies that covered my farmhouse window, on the outside, when the weather suddenly turned cold. They were seeking warmth.


Is this when you lived in Amityville?


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## ALS2259

I can try that for a few days but don't want to keep the thermostat lower all the time. But yes could give that a temporary try.

BTW the city is supposed to come out today to look at the pipes on their end. They haven't even heard of this problem before...


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## Nik333

Keep us posted, please. It's interesting! :}


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## spaceman spif

If all else fails, contact a priest!


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## ALS2259

Ha yes! My house needs an exorcism!!!

So the city came out and of course said everything was perfectly clean and good on their end, they went into their side of the hook up underneath the ground/ran a camera and said they saw no problems.

Interestingly, they happened to also talk to my one neighbor who is renting and they say they have the flies really bad too....they have not yet had the problem treated (ugh). Turns out we all share "lateral lines" of piping and - said the city - if THEY have a problem and don't treat it then I have the problem as well....so I guess these flies can travel back and forth. If this is true it makes sense as there is nothing anyone (pest company/plumber/me) can find wrong in my house proper.

The city employee passed on a pest company that he used to work for and so now we wait and hope they get their problem treated.

I do find it odd that in 2016 we are "sharing" sewer/water pipes with our neighbors...? Anyone else heard this?

And yes the flies are still around....:vs_mad:


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## Nik333

ALS2259 said:


> I do find it odd that in 2016 we are "sharing" sewer/water pipes with our neighbors...? Anyone else heard this?:vs_mad:


Lots of plumbers on chatroom. Hope one answers. I would assume they would all be connected to larger sewer mains, but w/o a filter.


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## Nik333

This is Calif., but interesting.


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## ALS2259

The city told me that they will flush out the main line just for good measure even though they didn't see anything. They tried knocking on neighbor's door that also has the problem to get permission to run camera on their end but no answer.

My house is in a cul de sac and while I found out the lateral lines don't necessarily "connect" to my neighbors, they do meet up of course at the central cleanout where everything goes into the main line.


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## Nik333

I don't know if you live in South Florida, but they have really been working at importing phorid flies to combat the imported red fire ant.

"Efforts to control these vicious insects involved an appropriately lurid parasite: various species of brain-eating flies. Imported from Brazil and released throughout the southeastern United States, phorid flies pounce on the ants and inject eggs, from which the larva hatches and eats the ant's brain. These flies have established themselves throughout Florida and are among several possible reasons suggested by scientists for the ant's decline. 
Rudolf Scheffrahn, professor of entomology at the University of Florida, credited competition from other ant species, as well as possibly disease, other competitors and phorid flies. Kern suggests pathogens and competition from the big-headed ant, a tropical invasive species that's a "voracious insect eater" but that doesn't sting people. Porter suggests changes in climate, disease and phorid flies. 
The flies have been distributed throughout South Florida, and scientists plan to introduce more species of them because each species attacks a different-sized ant. No one expects the flies to eradicate the ants, but scientists say the constant threat of air attack will keep the ants in their bunkers, making it more difficult for them to spread. 
"These parasites have been doing very, very well in spreading through the infected area," said Robert K. Vander Meer, chemist and research leader for the Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Unit at the USDA's Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville. "They are everywhere the ants are."

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/n...-flies-curbing-so-fla-fire-ant-colon-1/nLhw8/


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## ALS2259

Wow that's crazy.

I'm in Central Florida, about 3 hours north of Palm Beach County.

I guess it's a possibility. I would think the city would be aware of it if so, of course when I called no one had even heard of a "phorid fly" before.


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## spaceman spif

Zombie flies?!?!?


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## Nik333

ALS2259 said:


> Wow that's crazy.
> 
> I'm in Central Florida, about 3 hours north of Palm Beach County.
> 
> I guess it's a possibility. I would think the city would be aware of it if so, of course when I called no one had even heard of a "phorid fly" before.


Send them the article :wink2: and please tell them it was fr. a person in California! :} I'm sure there are more recent articles, but I would expect them to have spread in the last few years. I just hope they're not messing too much with Nature. I was ready to purchase them when the fire ants were stinging me while I made coffee in the am!

I haven't had the best luck with the City & County experts where I am in the country. But, at least they do send things to the State! Everyone blames it on cutbacks.


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## ALS2259

The city was out today and flushed the lines, I saw them out at both man hole covers in my street and they also called to tell me they did this. They reiterated I need to get my neighbor on board with this and have them check their pipes.

I'll try and find out who to ask if anyone is releasing them as pest control. I think that might be a different classification of phorid fly, there are a ton. Ones that are predatory and kill and others that eat already decaying matter (are more scavengers).


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## Nik333

We have Environmental Health. They will talk to neighbors. Or the owner if necessary. There must be something similar. I can't remember what bugs are called, if they are vermin, but we are supposed to be fairly free. Good luck!


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## noquacks

Some things even the experts cant explain- like the locust population explosion of 1874. After that year, they dissappeared- quit- left. No explanation which is conclusive. Hopefully, your flies will "go away".


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## mikegp

If it really is in the pipes you can try something like this on your drains:









http://proventsystems.com/product-solutions/trap-guard/overview/

Would they come up through a toilet?


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## ALS2259

That drain thing looks cool and makes sense...

Yes they could come in through a toilet, I think more where the toilet connects to the floor and the seal there versus up through the bowl. But like I said I had both toilets removed and re-sealed a week ago, and no flies were seen.

I also just had my AC unit serviced, and he flushed that drain pipe out real good and found no debris/flies.

The flies are still in the house, I am more sure now they are coming from the bathroom sink....had to say really since all the sinks/drains/pipes end up connecting somewhere. The plumber asked if I've "re-set" my sinks, I guess take the sinks out totally and re-set them. I haven't done that. Orkin has applied the foam pesticide to not just down in the sink drains but also into the two overflow holes in the sink, where the inside of the sink and the sink wall. So in theory that should not be an issue.

Maybe there is something good about them, they are like pets. :vs_mad:


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## Startingover

Now I'm worried. I'm in central Fla. also. Haven't heard anyone around here mention these flies.


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## Nik333

Startingover said:


> Now I'm worried. I'm in central Fla. also. Haven't heard anyone around here mention these flies.



I betcha it's that rental neighbor. Yes, there are excess flies in Florida, but this is so coincidental. It irritates me that the OP has to work so hard & spend so much money.


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## ALS2259

Thank you for the commiseration! 

Ugh yeah I have done everything in my power, the flies are still around, not AS bad but still there. No update on the neighbor. I can't imagine people living like this and not trying to get rid of them.


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## ALS2259

Not sure if any one is still reading this but we STILL have the flies, have I guess pretty much learned to live with them, other than moving I have no clue what to do. 

Unless any one has had any breakthrough ideas for me....


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## LucyKona

Hi there,
Did you find a solution to your phorid fly issue? I just read your post from April 2016 and I could have written the exact post. I live in Florida, newly constructed home and major phorid fly issue. Orkin as been here for a year and clueless. Root Rooter has been here as well and looked at the plumbing and done a smoke test. I have cats as well but never had an issue prior to moving in the new home. The only solution I've found is the bug Lights with the glue boards however, that's just a bandaid. We can't find the breeding ground. We did put a bug light in our garage and it's attracting a bunch of flies. Our air handler is in there....any thoughts? If anyone has any ideas, please respond. Thanks!


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## mikegp

Maybe do a smoke test around your air handler. That's a serious issue carbon monoxide wise anyway if there is a leak.


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## ALS2259

No,. they are back.


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## ALS2259

What is a smoke test?


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## ALS2259

So after almost a year of no flies, they are back with a vengeance.

I won't re-write the history or everything I've done to try and fix this. But one sort of observation.

I've had the phorid flies real bad off and on for about two years. We've had almost ONE YEAR of no flies. Till now. Here's the deal. I have a cat (had her over ten years this is not new) that will not cover her poop and her poop is very wet. When she does this and I'm not home, starting last week, there are flies all over her poop. I scoop and remove the poop from the house, flies EVERYWHERE. In every room on every surface. They are in the refrigerator (dead ones). Once night comes, they either go away or significantly diminish.

They will be around for a day or so. Until she poops again and I am not home to scoop it.

IF I AM home and I'm able to get the poop immediately, no flies.

I am certain they are not breeding in the house (except when they get on the poop). They are coming in from somewhere, attracted to the poop, and then when the poop is gone they are all over the place. Unless i'm able to not let the poop sit in the litterbox, then they are gone.

EVERYTHING and every spot in my house has been checked (read prior thread). I did have a friend suggest the bathroom exhaust fan in the attic maybe having a hole in it as it seems that that bathroom is the first spot I see them and where they are most concentrated (other than the poop when it's there). But I know they breed and like moist areas, I'm doubtful that would be in the attic.

Could it be they are simply just coming in from outside? Why are they back now? What else can I do that I haven't done to keep them out of the house?

HELP


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## ALS2259

Just found out that at least four neighbors have them too. There is a lift station on our street. Might that be the culprit?


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## SeniorSitizen

Has there been a positive identification and it is definitely a Phorid fly and not a Drain fly.


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## ALS2259

They have been ID'ed as phorid flies/humpback flies, yes.

They are not drain flies.


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## ALS2259

ALSO found out that the sewer line is a "problem line" and routinely gets grease buildup. They do a monthly flushing of it as is. I don't know what to think about this. Maybe once a month isn't enough? Maybe the communal city sewer pipes aren't the issue after all??


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## PestGuy

You don't happen to have a slab anywhere underneath your house do you?


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## ALS2259

PestGuy said:


> You don't happen to have a slab anywhere underneath your house do you?


Not that I know of. House built 1997 or so, concrete block. How would I find out?


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## SeniorSitizen

ALS2259 said:


> Orkin has applied the foam pesticide to not just down in the sink drains but also into the two overflow holes in the sink, where the inside of the sink and the sink wall. So in theory that should not be an issue.


Sometime ago I read , didn't save the article, the eggs are resilient to pesticides but that was on the subject of Basin Flies.


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## ALS2259

ALS2259 said:


> Not that I know of. House built 1997 or so, concrete block. How would I find out?


Let me edit. My house is concrete slab so yes I'm assuming it sits on a slab. You think there is something decaying under there? Why would these flies come and go over the past two years? I don't have any odors...


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## PestGuy

If you don't have a basement then it definitely sits on a slab. There can be buildup of waste and other garbage if a sewer line ever burst under the ground. That will sit under the slab forever and there will always be flies. Unfortunately the only way to solve it is to dig up the floor but you want to be 110% sure that's where the flies are coming from first. All the infested soil will need to be removed and replaced and the slab repoured.


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## pcc001

I am having the exact same problem as ALS2259. I live in Northern Florida. I have isolated the problem to a bathroom that is very close to the main drain pipe for the house and very close to the septic tank. I had the septic tank pumped out about 45 days before I started noticing this problem. I could smell sewage for a couple of days after that and assumed that was normal. The odor went away after about 3 days. We are also having a ton of rain this season. Had a plumber come out with a camera and saw the phorid flies flying around in the drain pipes and in and out of the septic system. The flies are coming in to the bathroom around the pipes. I have sealed off the entire room - all around the floor, around the pipes, everything. I think they might be coming in around the light fixture - that's next. We are probably looking at digging up the foundation. 
My question to the pest control folks is this: How would we know we have found the contaminated soil? Can I have some soil samples tested for larvae?
Thank you all for your help with this distressing problem.


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## VVB123

I have the SAME EXACT problem as ALS2259 and of course I live in Florida. Marion county to be exact. I was really excited when I found this thread hoping that by the end of it there would be a solution. I have had this issue going on for almost 3 years!!! I have had multiple pest company's aswel as plumber's come out and do the full inspections with camera. Starting with foaming drains, cleaning drains, cameras down drains. Bio drain, cleaning out septic and the entire run around yet no resolution. When our issue first started we had just bought our home. Wich was only 10 years old. Since than we have replaced our air vac, replaced kitchen plumbing, toilet's , drain covers and so much more. At this point we have almost run out of finances to pay for anything thing else drastic. This pest is out of control. Has anyone in this thread had any solution since than. We have a septic tank. no leaks, no pets, no plants or dead animal's. Tried the neighbors they don't have this issue. First noticed them around our garbage and daughters diaper pail 3years ago. Since than we don't even have trash cans in our home. Never leave our drains uncovered and barely have guests over. Please help.


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## pcc001

Our phorid fly problem is solved. The flies were feeding (and perhaps reproducing - not sure) in our septic tank. We believe the problem started when we had the tank pumped. There was an odor of sewage for several days afterward. I believe the odor attracted the phorid flies to the tank. They were able to enter the tank through a gap between the lid and the top of the tank. Once inside, the most attractive way out was through the drain pipe. They entered our house via the drain system. The solution was a whole-house trap between the septic tank and the house. Phorid flies cannot get through the water in a P trap. 
We never figured out how they got from the drain system into the rooms. There may have been a hidden vent behind a wall or something.
I hope this helps someone else with this heinous problem.


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## Nik333

Lemons!!! I've had a mess of phorid flies in recent months. I try not to use pesticides except in emergency, so I tried every natural remedy. Besides sticky fly paper which looks bad but works, the best deterrent has been cut lemons.

If I put cut lemon halves in an area they are scuttling in, they run away. The smell is pleasant to me, so I just have to experiment with the concentration that works. Better than vinegar to attract, beer, & meat traps.

They are coming around the closed door because the house is moving over time. Some look small enough to come thru a screen mesh.


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## hdfsdf

We have them bad here in Arkansas...they are a plague unlike anything you've ever imagined...It's really hard to explain the hell you go through when these things start breeding...They are the special forces of the fly world...


They crawl all over everything, dart in and out of your plate, on the countertops, in the litter box, in your face constantly trying to crawl in your mouth/nose....They have an uncanny ability to sense any type of food and seem to appear out of nowhere to get in it...if you manage to kill one, two appear in it's place.


The really bad news for the original poster is that their main breeding ground is under CONCRETE slabs...Their population will explode when they have concrete to nest in and there is nothing you can do but dig the entire foundation up...and no matter how cold it gets here they are always back in the spring too and progressively worsen through the summer months. Also their other favorites are cat poop and even sugary drinks they can breed...The rumor is they were brought in to combat fire ants but let me tell you fire ants are nothing compared to the hell these things will bring you...Honestly if they were much bigger they could probably bring down the entire human race


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## Nik333

hdfsdf said:


> We have them bad here in Arkansas...they are a plague unlike anything you've ever imagined...It's really hard to explain the hell you go through when these things start breeding...They are the special forces of the fly world...
> 
> 
> They crawl all over everything, dart in and out of your plate, on the countertops, in the litter box, in your face constantly trying to crawl in your mouth/nose....They have an uncanny ability to sense any type of food and seem to appear out of nowhere to get in it...if you manage to kill one, two appear in it's place.
> 
> 
> The really bad news for the original poster is that their main breeding ground is under CONCRETE slabs...Their population will explode when they have concrete to nest in and there is nothing you can do but dig the entire foundation up...and no matter how cold it gets here they are always back in the spring too and progressively worsen through the summer months. Also their other favorites are cat poop and even sugary drinks they can breed...The rumor is they were brought in to combat fire ants but let me tell you fire ants are nothing compared to the hell these things will bring you...Honestly if they were much bigger they could probably bring down the entire human race


I agree. Try a bag of lemons. Seriously, they contain d-limonene which is used in many products, including pesticides.

A common thread seems to be cat boxes. Maybe we should get automatic cat boxes, although, the fly is so small it could probably get in the small waste box. Also, there's lot of dog poop in neighbors' yards. There are leaking old pipes and the kitchen sink outflow(?) was leaking under the concrete slab. I rent.

They really were coming in around the door, then set up shop in any drop of food flavored water. They really like used coffee grounds (???):vs_worry:

My favorite are those that hit my face at night while it's lit up by the light of the TV!


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## AAK45

Has anyone found the solution to their problem??? I am having the exact issue as ALS2259 - I feel like my home was cloned! We bought our home in January 2021 and have been battling these flies since March of 2021. I too, have Orkin, because all my google searches would bring up an article by them and how they can combat this pest. They have been coming since July (twice a month) and the issue is not getting better. Some days better than others, but at night time, it is like they disappear. I don't get it. I have probably gone through 50 or so sticky traps on my windows (even had 5 windows replaced). I haven't had a plumber out yet, but our water bill isn't different at all so I don't suspect a leak at all. I live in Jacksonville, FL.


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## Nik333

There are quite a few articles on infestations of phorid flies in Jacksonville, FL, in 2021.



Previously,
Note the date -








Flies to Combat Pesky Fire Ants







abcnews.go.com





Ironically, we messed with Mother Nature. Now they attack honey bees. I predict that with all the wealth in Almond orchards & the like, dependent on honey bees in California, more research will be done to eradicate them, or at least control them.

Regarding plumbing leaks, it can just be a dripping leak on a concrete slab, apparently, that allows them to colonize. They were breeding in an unnoticed tiny pool of coffee on the sink!

I've advanced to dairy flies. I'll gladly trade you!


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## wifi442

Good day everyone. I'm not sure if our problem was the same as yours but I'll add to the conversation. We bought an older house in Dec 2020 and had it torn down to nearly the studs for a big remodel. Once we moved in everything seemed fine but then the flies started showing up. I was afraid some pipes might have been left open or cracked in walls as some shower drains and sinks were relocated during the remodel. I fought with the flies for about 2-3 months. Setting traps etc. Sent photos in and confirmed they were indeed Phorid flies. After installing cameras near two toilets I was able to find where they were coming from:






If it seems like they are in your bathrooms more than other places, it's most likely the toilets. These never leaked any water, never smelled like sewer but the flies got through. These are a full skirt toilet and they are a lot harder to line up with the flange in the floor. The wax rings were not installed correctly and they were able to 'Sneak' by and get into the house. 2 Bathrooms had regular toilets and 2 had these 'Nicer' ones. The nicer ones were the only ones that had the flies. Definitely check the toilets and then check again! I did the tape test to try and trap some and it never caught any. The camera was the only way to know for sure. I had two plumbers come out to re set the 2 toilets and the flies kept coming. Finally I hired (MYSELF) and got the toilets to seal and the flies are GONE. 

The previous homeowner left the outside septic clean out wide open so that's most likely how they got inside the septic/pipes to begin with. I added a cap there to try and mitigate new intruders. I'm sure I still need to have the septic cleaned of the larvae but at least they cannot get into the house anymore!

Good luck on your battle. These guys are tough to catch.


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## AAK45

@Nik333 really? I haven’t seen any articles.
I finally reached out to neighbors and only the neighbor across the street from me has them.
I called our county but they won’t come check anything. They said it’s homeowners issue. 
this is so frustrating not being able to find the breeding site (eggs/larvae).


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## Nik333

AAK45 said:


> @Nik333 really? I haven’t seen any articles.
> I finally reached out to neighbors and only the neighbor across the street from me has them.
> I called our county but they won’t come check anything. They said it’s homeowners issue.
> this is so frustrating not being able to find the breeding site (eggs/larvae).











Importation biological control of invasive fire ants with parasitoid phorid flies—progress and prospects


Twenty-two known species of Pseudacteon flies (Diptera: Phoridae) are parasitoids of South American fire ants in the Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) com…




www.sciencedirect.com







phorid flies released in 2021 - Google Search


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