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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
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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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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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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Discussion Starter · #7 ·
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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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
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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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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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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Discussion Starter · #12 ·
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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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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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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Discussion Starter · #16 ·
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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Discussion Starter · #19 ·
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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