InChapala1 Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 I have a large infestation of a small gnat-like flying bug in my bathroom. I tried apple cider vinegar mixed with soap, but not a single bug took the bait. So it might not be a gnat. Any idea what the critter might be and how I get rid of it? I have none of these bugs in the kitchen and they don't seem to be attracted to fruits or the garbage. They seem to be attracted to water, but not sure. They are just in the bathroom. I've used an electronic fly swatter to kill them, but a few hours later, there's several dozen more. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dichosalocura Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 Could they be the local bobos that usually come out in the summer and swarm the malecón and sidewalks in town? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 I never get to take a good look at bobos 'cuz I'm too busy swatting them away. I have a few of the bathroom variety described that are attracted to water. Their wings are rounded and look rather like Mickey Mouse ears. They don't bite like mosquitoes so I'm really not bothered by them. However, if I had more than the occasional one in the shower, I'd be swatting them with the zapper as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InChapala1 Posted December 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 I've seen bobos and these are different. They look like the critters Ferret describes: their wings are rounded and look like Mickey Mouse ears. They don't bite, but the large numbers and the fact the population keeps growing is what's bothering me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dichosalocura Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 Google drain flies, they like to hang out in bathrooms. I have them too, now that I recall. They are really small and blackish looking. According to wikipedia there are many many varieties, some looking almost moth like. The ones I have are very small, gnat size. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiko Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 Buy a liter of Mezcal. Place a lid from a mayonnaise jar on the floor and fill with the Mezcal. Drink the remainder of the Mezcal. The gnats will drink the Mezcal and then fall into the lid and drown. In the morning the gnats will either be gone or you will not care. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajijicbound Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 Fungus gnats. Periodically pour vinegar or hydrogen peroxide down the drain to kill the black fungus that attracts them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 Quote Can you take a picture of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha1 Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 3 hours ago, cedros said: Can you take a picture of them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jguerin Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 I had some of them coming from the shower drain, they were biting me. I was putting clorox in the drain regularly. That solve the problem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted December 27, 2019 Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 2 hours ago, Alpha1 said: Interesting. I will check. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InChapala1 Posted December 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2019 Alpha1- thanks for posting the photo. That's the critter. ajijicbound and jguerin- I will try vinegar and/or Clorox. jguerin- when you "I was putting Clorox in the drain regularly," is once daily adequate, or more or less frequently? And how much Clorox each time (1/2 cup, more)? ajijicbound- if its black fungus that attracts them, then I have an issue I was not aware of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 IF you are on a septic system, PLEASE use hydrogen peroxide in the shower drain pan. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jguerin Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 1/2 of cup of clorox, as soon as I was seeing one back in the shower, here I go with the clorox. may be hydrogen peroxide work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jguerin Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 1/2 of cup of clorox, as soon as I was seeing one back in the shower, here I go with the clorox. may be hydrogen peroxide work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajijicbound Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 3 hours ago, InChapala1 said: Alpha1- thanks for posting the photo. That's the critter. ajijicbound and jguerin- I will try vinegar and/or Clorox. jguerin- when you "I was putting Clorox in the drain regularly," is once daily adequate, or more or less frequently? And how much Clorox each time (1/2 cup, more)? ajijicbound- if its black fungus that attracts them, then I have an issue I was not aware Black fungus is a normal phenomena a warm climate. I had that in the southern US too. Nothing to worry about. Just monitor your drains, also the remedy's keep them clear. Clorox may burn a hole in your plastic pipe. The others are better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mudgirl Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 I don't have any of these in my house, but I was sitting down weeding a a part of the garden that had just been watered and there were swarms of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oatsie Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 Looks like "Drain flies" to me too.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drain_fly I buy Harpic Destop (not a typo) and follow directions and pour down ALL drains in house. I buy mine at Jara Hardware, just west of Telmex on north service road. https://super.walmart.com.mx/limpieza-del-hogar/destapacanos-liquido-harpic-destop-1-l/00750105877210 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chapalence Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 1 hour ago, Oatsie said: Looks like "Drain flies" to me too.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drain_fly I buy Harpic Destop (not a typo) and follow directions and pour down ALL drains in house. I buy mine at Jara Hardware, just west of Telmex on north service road. https://super.walmart.com.mx/limpieza-del-hogar/destapacanos-liquido-harpic-destop-1-l/00750105877210 Anything that has a warning label as long as that should probably not be used to get rid of a few flies, and one should consider that many drain pipes here are not exactly of the best materials and may be old. I know what kind of pipes I have because I had the whole system replaced and no way would I put anything that caustic down them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cedros Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 1 hour ago, Oatsie said: Looks like "Drain flies" to me too.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drain_fly I buy Harpic Destop (not a typo) and follow directions and pour down ALL drains in house. I buy mine at Jara Hardware, just west of Telmex on north service road. https://super.walmart.com.mx/limpieza-del-hogar/destapacanos-liquido-harpic-destop-1-l/00750105877210 That sounds like them. 30 some years in Mexico and I've never had them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 Those plastic drain covers also work well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakeside7 Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 We call them fruit flies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafterbr Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 16 hours ago, Ferret said: IF you are on a septic system, PLEASE use hydrogen peroxide in the shower drain pan. If you are on septic system using clorox or other strong acid can kill the bacteria in your system and cause many septic problems. The bacteria converts your waste to liquid in the tank making for easier disposal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 It would really help if people would read about "the care and feeding of septic systems" on the internet. And clorox is an alkali not an acid... as is ammonia. The lovely bacteria in a septic system like to be at the same ph as the human body... around 7.4. Putting either a strong alkali or a strong acid into it will kill them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More Liana Posted December 28, 2019 Report Share Posted December 28, 2019 3 hours ago, lakeside7 said: We call them fruit flies You can call them fruit flies, but they're not fruit flies. They're drain flies. I've had them too, and used all of the remedies recommended on this thread to get rid of them. Nothing worked for me until I started covering my shower and sink drains in the bathroom. That did the trick. They hatch in the drains, but they can't get out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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