Few things are more annoying than flies in your bedroom. Now imagine tens, hundreds or thousands of them!
If the flies are small and dark in color, they could be drain or phorid flies. This scenario would be more common if there was a master bathroom adjacent to the bedroom.
Identifying the Bedroom Flies
Drain flies breed in standing water or pipes where there is organic matter buildup. The flies feed on the buildup and multiply very quickly. They do not tend to travel far, since their flight ability is somewhat limited.
Another place to check is any plant pots, or window planters, which could become breeding grounds for multiple species of flies, including fungus gnats.
How to Get Rid of Flies in Your Bedroom
First, you must find where they are breeding. Until that is done, you will not be able to solve the problem.
Check the windows, baseboards, bathroom drains, shower drains and any plants in the vicinity. With some luck, you should be able to identify their breeding ground.
If you suspect they are breeding in a drain, look for signs of activity in the bathroom for visual confirmation. You can also place a strip of tape over suspected drains for 24 hours.
If flies are breeding in the drain, some should stick to the underside of the tape over time. This is a good way to confirm the drain is infested before pouring drain gels into it.
Fly Treatment Methods
There are a few ways to treat drain flies. The most popular are drain gels, insect growth regulators, aerosols and pipe brushes (yes, you read that right!).
Drain flies breed in organic buildup, so the first approach is to remove it. Start running warm water down the drain and then follow with the pipe brush. If you have clogged drains, try to remove all the material. For bad blockages, you may need to first call a plumber.
Products for Drain & Phorid Flies
After the pipe is scrubbed, follow with an enzymatic drain gel. These gels are formulated to eat away at organic material along the pipe walls. It is important to contain any infestation before it gets out of hand. This is a great way to do it.
After these steps are complete, you should see a dramatic decrease in fly activity over the next few days. If the issue continues, you may need to continue your search for the source of infestation.
It also helps to avoid eating in your bedroom and throwing organic waste into your trash bin.