How to Tell Fruit Flies, Fungus Gnats, and Drain Flies Apart (and How to Get Rid of Them)

Tiny flying bugs are the worst kind of houseguests. They show up uninvited, refuse to leave, and seem to multiply overnight. Whether they’re dive-bombing your fruit bowl, swarming your succulents, or haunting your sink drain, one thing’s for sure: you want them gone. But before you can evict these pests, you have to ID them. Fruit fly? Fungus gnat? Drain fly? Let’s break it down.

🪰 Fruit Flies: The Fermentation Fanatics

How to Spot Them:

  • Attracted to: Overripe fruit, wine, trash, and anything fermenting.
  • Appearance: Small, tan or brown bodies with distinct red eyes and a rounded shape.
  • Behavior: Fast and purposeful fliers that hang around fruit bowls, compost bins, and drains.
  • Breeding Grounds: Sugary, rotting food and organic gunk in your kitchen.

How to Get Rid of Them: Don’t just swat—trap. Use FlyPunch! It’s safe to place near food (because that’s where they’ll be), and it works like a charm—no mixing, no gross DIY jars.

🌱 Fungus Gnats: The Plant Groupies

How to Spot Them:

  • Attracted to: Moist, overwatered potting soil and decaying plant roots.
  • Appearance: Slender, black or dark gray, with long legs and a delicate, mosquito-like body.
  • Behavior: Weak, fluttery flyers often found near indoor plants.
  • Breeding Grounds: The top layer of damp soil in your potted plants.

How to Get Rid of Them: The key is drying out their breeding ground and treating the soil. Let your plant soil dry out a bit between waterings and treat the topsoil with a Bio Insecticide like Arber —an organic solution that disrupts gnat larvae without harming your plants. Bonus: it works on other plant pests, too.

🚿 Drain Flies: The Moth-y Mystery Bugs

How to Spot Them:

  • Attracted to: Organic sludge and standing water in drains.
  • Appearance: Fuzzy or hairy, gray or black, with moth-like wings.
  • Behavior: Lazy, fluttery flyers that stick close to sinks, showers, and floor drains.
  • Breeding Grounds: The gunk lining your pipes (yum).

How to Get Rid of Them: You’ve gotta clean the drains from the inside out. Pour ½ cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of vinegar down the drain. Let it bubble and fizz for 15 minutes, then flush with hot water. Repeat for a few days to knock out both the adults and larvae. For extra stubborn cases, scrub the drain with a stiff brush to remove built-up slime.

Know Thy Enemy, Banish Thy Bug

Now that you know who’s crashing your kitchen or creeping on your pothos, you’re ready to show them the door—with solutions that are safe and effective. Because your home isn’t a bug bar, a fly lounge, or a fungus gnat daycare. Let’s keep it that way.

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