They're both small and annoying, but drain flies and fruit flies are very different pests with different breeding habits and different fly control solutions.
Drain flies (also known as moth flies or sewer gnats) are small, fuzzy flies that breed inside drains and pipes.
Fruit flies are one of the most common small fly pests in homes and food businesses.
Book your free inspection to get expert, local advice.
Both flies are small enough to go unnoticed at first, but there are some clear signs that an infestation may be building.
With drain flies, the most obvious sign is seeing small, moth-like flies resting on walls near sinks, showers, or floor drains, particularly in the morning. You may also notice them in bathrooms that aren't used often, where water sits stagnant in the drain. If you run your hand over a drain and disturb a small cloud of flies, that's a strong indicator of a drain fly breeding site.
Fruit flies tend to cluster near food sources; hovering around a fruit bowl, a recycling bin, or an open bottle of wine. You might also spot them near sink drains in the kitchen, where food residue can accumulate.
If you need more help identifying which species of fly you have, contact our fly control team.
The good news is that both drain flies and fruit flies are largely preventable with the right habits in place.
For persistent problems, our pest control services can help protect your home from any type of fly.
Look at where they're congregating and what they look like. Drain flies are small, fuzzy, and moth-like (and you'll usually find them resting near sinks, showers, or floor drains). Fruit flies are tiny and rounded, often with red eyes, and tend to hover near fruit bowls, bins, or fermenting liquids.
No: they're different species with different habits and breeding sites. Treating one won't necessarily get rid of the other, which is why correct identification matters.
Drain flies and fruit flies are more than a nuisance. Our technicians identify the source of the infestation and treat it at the source.
Call our local experts now {telNumber} ({openingHoursSummary}) or view more details about your nearest branch