Tag
Guides for pests that come up through drains, sinks and pipes, and how to stop them.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Mostly no. Bleach, vinegar, baking soda and boiling water only kill larvae on the surface of the drain slime. Scrub the pipe with an $8–15 drain brush, flush with boiling water, and use a bacterial gel where the brush can’t reach.
Cockroaches · Identify
Most "water bugs" in a house are oriental or American cockroaches from drains and damp basements. A true water bug lives in ponds, has pincer-like front legs and tiny antennae, and doesn’t breed indoors.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Find the breeding drain with tape overnight, scrub the slime out with a stiff brush, then flush it or use a bacterial drain gel. Bleach won’t do it. Supplies run about $29–46; a pro charges $170–375.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Remove what they breed in (ripe produce, unrinsed recycling, a sour mop, a dirty drain), then catch the rest in a jar of $1.29 cider vinegar with a drop of dish soap. No spray or exterminator needed.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Let the top 1–2 inches of soil dry, catch adults on yellow sticky cards and water in Bti every 5–7 days for about 3 weeks. Supplies cost about $25.
Springtails · Get Rid of Pests
Dry them out: fix the leak or damp spot, keep indoor humidity under 60%, and vacuum or rinse away the rest. A hygrometer and a tube of caulk cost about $15; bug spray rarely helps.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Identify the gnat, then remove what it breeds in: ripe fruit, wet potting soil or a slimy drain. A $1.29 vinegar trap and $4.97 sticky cards catch the rest; sprays rarely help.
