# can find why drain flies are in my toilet



## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

My husband and I are SO frustrated. A couple of weeks ago we realized we had drain flies in one of our bathrooms. I assumed they were coming from the shower drain, so for the last two weeks I've been treating the shower and sink drains and we were still seeing them. My husband noticed one day a few sitting on the edge of the toilet rim, said they must be coming from there. I explained to him that we have no evidence of that in the bowl or the tank, and from what I've read, there's nothing in our toilet they would be attracted to and breeding in - rims are spotless, holes underneath are clean, everything is clean inside and out, and toilet is used and flushed on a regular basis. But to be sure, we covered the bowl with saran wrap one day and went out to dinner. When we arrived home, yep, there were a few drain flies in the bowl under the saran wrap. I can't begin to tell you how utterly surprised I was. We have NO idea where these things are coming from, none. Aren't they usually attracted to dirty, unused toilets, and don't they breed in those unclean parts that you would see either in the bottom of the bowl or in the tank? We see nothing, tank is clean clear water as is the bowl. This bathroom is spotless and we have no problems with leaks or water or anything like that, so where on earth are they breeding and then showing up under the rims and into the toilet bowl? I've been pouring a bleach and water mixture down the over flow tube in the tank so it sits in the rims and runs down into the bowl, and we also keep saran wrap over the bowl so they can't fly out and then eventually die from the bleach. It's controlling them and keeping them from flying around the room, but we know we have to find where they're breeding, and we can't figure out where that would be. It's only the two of us living here, and like I said, there's no issues with anything in the bathroom, my husband has been in the basement looking underneath where the toilet is for any leaks or any problems, and he sees no issues at all. There is nothing going down the toilet other than what's suppose to so we can't believe there's any type of buildup anywhere in that pipe when it's flushed and maintained as it should be. Does any one here have a clue? I spend a good deal of time just looking at them in the toilet bowl trying to figure out where they're originating from, and honestly, we got nothing. We would sure appreciate some help trying to figure this out because we can't really treat something we can't find. We even thought of pouring a drain cleaner down the toilet just to make sure there was nothing there, but we know you're not suppose to use those in toilets, so we kind of have our hands tied there. Seriously, we are completely baffled and frustrated more than words can say. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


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## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

I think you are correct and they are still coming from your drains and landing on the toilet rim. Try 1/2 cup straight bleach let it sit overnight in the drains. 

Also remember to treat the overflow in bathroom sink and shower with bleach also. Lots of crud gets in that's hard to reach and drain flies come out of there as well. It worked for me. Just a suggestion.


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

You need to go back and reread my post. I explained that we verified they were in the toilet because we've been covering the toilet bowl with saran wrap 24/7 and we can see them coming out from under the rim. They are _not _in the drains.


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

If the bowl is covered they are in the rim or are traveling down the overflow. Have you tried boiling water in the tank? It will have more water volume in the rim during the flush. Hold the flapper open and dump the water in the tank.


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## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

carolbil said:


> You need to go back and reread my post. I explained that we verified they were in the toilet because we've been covering the toilet bowl with saran wrap 24/7 and we can see them coming out from under the rim. They are _not _in the drains.



Sorry about that, agree with dj. try his method first.

If no luck, turn off water to toilet, empty tank clean it really good with 50/50 solution of bleach and water. Pour some 50/50 solution down the overflow tube as well. They have have to coming in somehow. 

Hope you get them stopped soon carolbil.


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

djlandkpl said:


> If the bowl is covered they are in the rim or are traveling down the overflow. Have you tried boiling water in the tank? It will have more water volume in the rim during the flush. Hold the flapper open and dump the water in the tank.


I've poured CLR, vinegar, and a bleach mixture daily down the over flow, so I don't know what could possibly be in the rims for them to feed on. I also did the hot water thing a couple days ago, I poured pots of it into the bowl while it was flushing, but I hesitate doing it again in the tank as I read that can crack the toilet. Could they be coming from the toilet drain, or isn't that possible because of the trap? My husband said he didn't think so. I just don't believe they're in the rims, there's nothing there for them to feed on. We just can't figure out where else they could be.


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

jmon said:


> Sorry about that, agree with dj. try his method first.
> 
> If no luck, turn off water to toilet, empty tank clean it really good with 50/50 solution of bleach and water. Pour some 50/50 solution down the overflow tube as well. They have have to coming in somehow.
> 
> Hope you get them stopped soon carolbil.


You're so kind, and I'm ready to cry over this. Yes, I've been doing the 50/50 bleach and water down the over flow tube a couple times a day now, leaving the saran wrap over the bowl all the time, and it kills them, but they still keep showing up. And you're right, they have to be coming in somehow. I ask my husband why can't they be in the toilet drain that the water runs out through when you flush, and be coming up out of that and exiting through the rim holes, and he looks at me like I'm nuts. Because we don't see any evidence of breeding in the bowl or the tank, there's no larvae and anything like that, and wouldn't there be if they were in the actual toilet somewhere? When I look up 'drain flies in toilet' online, those are some nasty toilets, and mine doesn't look anything like that, which is why I didn't originally think they were coming from the toilet - it's too clean, and it's used daily. How do we fix something if we don't know what to fix?


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

There's a large area in the toilet that feeds water to the holes in the rim. If the eggs are on the top part of the area, what you put in the overflow isn't going to reach them as it's not enough water volume. I've read that bleach won't kill the eggs.

They shouldn't be able to enter the bowl because of the trap. Along with covering the bowl in saran wrap, try covering the overflow tube as well. This will completely isolate the bowl.


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## jmon (Nov 5, 2012)

carolbil said:


> You're so kind, and I'm ready to cry over this. Yes, I've been doing the 50/50 bleach and water down the over flow tube a couple times a day now, leaving the saran wrap over the bowl all the time, and it kills them, but they still keep showing up. And you're right, they have to be coming in somehow. I ask my husband why can't they be in the toilet drain that the water runs out through when you flush, and be coming up out of that and exiting through the rim holes, and he looks at me like I'm nuts. Because we don't see any evidence of breeding in the bowl or the tank, there's no larvae and anything like that, and wouldn't there be if they were in the actual toilet somewhere? When I look up 'drain flies in toilet' online, those are some nasty toilets, and mine doesn't look anything like that, which is why I didn't originally think they were coming from the toilet - it's too clean, and it's used daily. How do we fix something if we don't know what to fix?



Wow! That's a head scratcher. I hope someone here can find a solution for you that will work carolbil.


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

djlandkpl said:


> There's a large area in the toilet that feeds water to the holes in the rim. If the eggs are on the top part of the area, what you put in the overflow isn't going to reach them as it's not enough water volume. I've read that bleach won't kill the eggs.
> 
> They shouldn't be able to enter the bowl because of the trap. Along with covering the bowl in saran wrap, try covering the overflow tube as well. This will completely isolate the bowl.


There's been a couple of times when I've lifted the lid off the tank to pour the bleach in, and one flew out and landed on the wall next to me. So you're talking about the area in the front of the toilet rim that you have circled? How do we reach that area, especially if they're on the top of it? I'll cover the overflow with saran wrap too, but if the bleach may not kill the eggs, or even reach that area, do you have any suggestions on what we can do?


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

carolbil said:


> There's been a couple of times when I've lifted the lid off the tank to pour the bleach in, and one flew out and landed on the wall next to me. So you're talking about the area in the front of the toilet rim that you have circled? How do we reach that area, especially if they're on the top of it? I'll cover the overflow with saran wrap too, but if the bleach may not kill the eggs, or even reach that area, do you have any suggestions on what we can do?




That open area circles the entire rim. When you flush, a portion of the tank water floods the rim and that cavity. 

Since you had flies in the tank, add the saran wrap to the overflow and also cover the tank. This will isolate each area of the toilet and help determine where the flies are hanging out. 

If I was in your shoes, I would pull the toilet, take it outside and blast it with insecticide. Let’s see if the added Saran wrap provides any more info first.


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

I don't see any in the tank. A couple of times when I lifted the lid to add the bleach to the overflow, I 'think' one flew out but I assumed it was coming out the over flow, not sure if that's possible. There's no evidence of them in the tank, water is clear with nothing on the bottom. Thank-you for your help, I've covered the overflow with saran wrap and I will keep you posted as to how it's working.


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

djlandkpl said:


> That open area circles the entire rim. When you flush, a portion of the tank water floods the rim and that cavity.
> 
> Since you had flies in the tank, add the saran wrap to the overflow and also cover the tank. This will isolate each area of the toilet and help determine where the flies are hanging out.
> 
> If I was in your shoes, I would pull the toilet, take it outside and blast it with insecticide. Let’s see if the added Saran wrap provides any more info first.


Well, we took the lid off tonight and there were a couple in the tank, which I killed. I had the over flow tube covered but I did have a hard time covering it very well because of that piece that shoots the water into it, so they may have been able to get out. So if I'm seeing one or two in the tank now and then, does that mean they're coming up from under the rim, or from somewhere else? We are so exasperated, we can't even think straight anymore.


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

carolbil said:


> Well, we took the lid off tonight and there were a couple in the tank, which I killed. I had the over flow tube covered but I did have a hard time covering it very well because of that piece that shoots the water into it, so they may have been able to get out. So if I'm seeing one or two in the tank now and then, does that mean they're coming up from under the rim, or from somewhere else? We are so exasperated, we can't even think straight anymore.




Can you wrap the saran wrap around the tube and seal it with a rubber band? Also cover the tank with Saran. This will help determine if the flies are coming from somewhere else.


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

Oh, I see, you want to see if they're coming up from the rim, or from somewhere else in the room, correct?


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

carolbil said:


> Oh, I see, you want to see if they're coming up from the rim, or from somewhere else in the room, correct?


That's correct. If you can, please post some photos of your toilet. Is the base of your toilet caulked to the floor?


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

Yes, it is, and very well, I'm quite the stickler about keeping things caulked properly, whether it's shower, tub, toilet, etc. Could not get the saran wrap to stick well enough to the over flow tube, so I just used a few small pieces of masking tape and made sure it was secure around the entire circle with no gaps, saran wrap also over tank as well as bowl. I do thank you so very much for taking the time to help us. Hopefully what we discuss on here concerning our problem may help someone else who has a similar problem and comes on here to find help like I did.


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

carolbil said:


> Yes, it is, and very well, I'm quite the stickler about keeping things caulked properly, whether it's shower, tub, toilet, etc. Could not get the saran wrap to stick well enough to the over flow tube, so I just used a few small pieces of masking tape and made sure it was secure around the entire circle with no gaps, saran wrap also over tank as well as bowl. I do thank you so very much for taking the time to help us. Hopefully what we discuss on here concerning our problem may help someone else who has a similar problem and comes on here to find help like I did.




Looks good. The caulk helps exclude them coming up from the floor. Now we have to wait for them to show up. 

What floor is this bathroom on? If it’s on the first floor, what’s underneath? 

What’s on the other side of the vent? It’s so close to the toilet that it could be how they are getting in.


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

djlandkpl said:


> Looks good. The caulk helps exclude them coming up from the floor. Now we have to wait for them to show up.
> 
> What floor is this bathroom on? If it’s on the first floor, what’s underneath?
> 
> What’s on the other side of the vent? It’s so close to the toilet that it could be how they are getting in.


House is a ranch so it's on the main floor; underneath is what we call a 'Michigan basement', meaning it's not a true basement but you can stand up in it and it's where the hot water tank and furnace are. Vent is on an outside wall and we had that covered in saran wrap as well and nothing ever showed up.


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

Any news on the flies?


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

djlandkpl said:


> Any news on the flies?


 Hi Dan! I was going to write you when I was sure they were gone, because I think they are, or just about. I found a product called Gentrol and the reviews on it were great, so I bought a can. When you said they could be in the front of the rim or on the top of it where nothing can reach them, that pretty much did it for me. My husband goes 'How on earth do we reach that??'. Well.....you don't. So I bought a can of this stuff, if I can, I'll post a picture for others to see it if they want to try it. We were seeing about 12-15 flies a night in the toilet, not a lot, but we couldn't get rid of them. The first night I used this, I sprayed it in all the holes underneath the rim, covered the bowl with saran wrap like I have been just so we can see how many are still there ...and saw nothing for 2 days. The third day we saw 2 dead ones in the toilet, so I sprayed it in all the holes again making sure it was going up inside of the rim itself, again saw nothing for 2 days, then third day saw only one dead one. That was yesterday morning, sprayed it a third time, and have seen nothing so far. It says it sterilizes them so they can't mate, and it also affects the larvae itself so they can't develop properly. Some people have said it's what their pesticide guy used as well. It's non-toxic, has very little smell, if any (I'm sensitive to odors and it didn't bother me), and even though it says this stuff doesn't kill them, it did mine, so I'm going to say yes it does. But because the life cycle of one of these little darlings is 8-24 days, I'm not going to feel confident that they're gone until we go 3 weeks without seeing anything. Then I'll know it's probably safe to unwrap the toilet bowl  But I really have you to thank for convincing me in the first place that they were IN the toilet, not in the drain going from the house like I thought. But I'll tell ya what. If we ever get thse things again, I sure hope they pick an actual drain next time because that is SO much easier to treat than a toilet rim. Thank-you Dan, we appreciate your help more than we can say.


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## djlandkpl (Jan 29, 2013)

I'm glad it's working out and hope they are gone for good!


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## carolbil (Jun 6, 2019)

just a quick update - it's been over two weeks now and haven't seen any drain flies. If not for the Gentrol I used, I know we would still be fighting these things, so, very thankful something like this is on the market that actually eliminates them within a week. For others who have them in their drains where they're easier to treat, one treatment and they're gone. So anyone fighting drain flies, I can't recommend this stuff enough. (Also, I received a notification that a message was posted from Sabrina9....I don't see it here so didn't want her to think she was being ignored. Maybe she can repost it, or contact someone as to why it's not showing up)


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## Filianore (May 19, 2021)

I got ants in my bathroom, they've made a small whole in the wall, and were doing their little things. I had to buy a special poison, because we couldn't deal with them in any other way. It was very annoying to see them there, when their place is outside. I don't know what caused them to come in the bathroom, but shortly after replacing the plumbing with the help of armstrongplumbing.com, they stopped coming. This is very amazing, because you don't want to see any other creatures except yourself, when you go in the bathroom.


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