Ann, Is it possible that repairing the plumbing is what effectively ended the drain fly problem? Small flies love to breed in the muck that builds up under a plumbing leak.
Whether using antifreeze (not recommended) or bleach, the chemical would not have coated the entire inside diameter of the pipes and therefore would not have killed all the pests. So I’m not sure how antifreeze would’ve done anything the bleach would not have done. Foaming drain cleaners are useful because they will coat the entire inside diameter of the pipes. (If needed, some foaming agents are designed to be used with insecticides to produce a residual film on the interior of the pipes.) There are biosanitation products out there that use microbes to digest the organic buildup in drains. There are also drain filters or baskets that help catch much of the organic matter before it goes down; they are easy to clean out. --Dan Dan Wixted Pesticide Management Education Program (PMEP) Cornell University Ph (607) 255-7525 525 Tower Road FAX (607) 255-3075 CALS Surge Facility psep.cce.cornell.edu<http://psep.cce.cornell.edu/> Ithaca, NY 14853 dj...@cornell.edu<mailto:dj...@cornell.edu> From: pestlist@googlegroups.com <pestlist@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Ann Frisina Sent: Tuesday, March 2, 2021 1:25 PM To: pestlist@googlegroups.com Subject: [PestList] Drain Flies and their treatment. After recently having issues with our cafeteria floor drains, post shut down, I have decided it would be a good idea if we had a drain protocol. I was not involved in treating this area due to being on furlough so all my info is second hand. Background Our cafeteria floor drains started breeding drain flies, copious amounts of them, once we shut down. At the time dilute mixes of bleach and water were flushed down the drains. This slowed their breeding but didn’t stop the drain flies altogether. At some point a corroded area of the pipe leaked into a lower level. It is assumed the bleach resulted in corroding a pipe. Once the pipe was repaired the plumbers suggested putting antifreeze down the pipes. This effectively ended our drain fly problem. My questions are ... 1. Is there a way we can clean out the floor drains to prevent drain flies from laying eggs in them? 2. Is there a treatment that does not require weekly drain maintenance? This proved to be very time consuming to the few people taking care of the building. 3. What did the antifreeze do to the drain flies to make them disappear immediately after application. Thank you for taking the time to review this issue. Best Ann Ann Frisina Textile Conservator TSG Chair 2020 Minnesota Historical Society 345 Kellogg Blvd. W. St. Paul, MN 55413 651 259-3385 -- Ann Frisina Textile Conservator TSG Chair 2020 Minnesota Historical Society 345 Kellogg Blvd. W. St. Paul, MN 55413 651 259-3385 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MuseumPests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<mailto:pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com>. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAA%2BKrTT5QaczpzwncwL8H%2B4eNf8Rege-xZM60%3DyysqY0jiD_KQ%40mail.gmail.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/CAA%2BKrTT5QaczpzwncwL8H%2B4eNf8Rege-xZM60%3DyysqY0jiD_KQ%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "MuseumPests" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to pestlist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/pestlist/BL0PR04MB501196149EA1975E2C9E0A39AF999%40BL0PR04MB5011.namprd04.prod.outlook.com.
