In general, drain flies are not harmful to anyone. Adult flies and larvae are just annoying and can be rather dirty, yet they don’t bite neither can transmit any diseases. Still, they don’t eat feces or rotten fruits like other flies, all they need is a little stale moist in the house.
This is why kitchen drains, shower drains, garbage cans and other moisty areas in the house are perfect breeding grounds for them. Their larvae appear in these areas and they are relatively harmless to cats. If the drain is dirty, they carry that dirt on themselves which is pretty much the only concern.
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Can Drain Flies Transmit Diseases or Parasites?
Drain flies are not known of transmitting parasites or diseases to humans nor cats. You can usually find them on the wall near the drain where they came from. Unlike some other flies, they can’t bite and have no interest in pestering humans or animals.
They are nothing to be afraid of, their presence is just a sign that there is plenty of filth in the drain they are coming from.
Can Drain Flies Transmit Disease through Cat Food?
Drain flies won’t land on any of the foods they can find in the kitchen, except if by accident. They are not going to transmit any disease or bacteria to pet food either. In some ways, these flies can even be useful considering that their larvae consume the gunk that has accumulated in the drain over time.
They prefer areas where they can find stale standing water. However, it is highly unlikely that the drinking water of your cat is going to just stand there untouched for weeks. Drain flies prefer filthy water full of organic material, otherwise it is unlikely that they are going to go near it.
If you are looking for a 100% Bio solution to get rid of drain flies and not harm your cats, then we recommend the InVade Bio Drain products:
What Would Happen if My Cat Ate a Drain Fly?
Many people are curious and writing us emails, are drain fly larvae harmful to cats? As we mentioned above, drain flies are not known to transmit any diseases. Most likely, nothing bad is going to happen after your cat eating one. We certainly can’t say this for other types of flies as many of them can indeed spread a lot of different diseases.
- Recommended: Are Drain Flies Harmful to Dogs
Also, drain flies are not going to lay their eggs in pet food. They prefer different spots for breeding that are more water-based and they are not attracted by the smell of food either. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that your cat is going to eat drain fly eggs.
Even if your pet somehow manages to do so, it is not something to worry about.
How to Identify Moth Flies?
The reason why they are called moth flies is because their body is covered in hairs, which makes them similar to moths. With the hair tuft on their head and the unique pattern on their wings, it is easy to identify them.
Once you verify that the insects in your house are drain flies, you can rest assured that your cat is safe from these little drain dwellers. They are rather harmless despite the fact that they come from a dirty place covered with filth, organic matter and gellatinous film.
How to get rid of drain flies
However they don’t bit your cat, it is advised to get rid of drain flies as fast as it is possible. An infestation can ruin your everyday life, no counting your guests who might think your home is not clean. We covered this topic in this super-detailed article: How to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Frequently Asked Questions
In general, drain flies are not harmful to cats. They are not known of transmitting parasites to cats, they do not bite or sting. Drain flies do not lay eggs in cat food and they do not eat it. But because these small, flying bugs come from drains, there is always a little chance to carry bacteria or infections. It is important to get rid of drain flies as fast as it is possible to avoid serious infestation.
In general, drain fly larvae are not harmful to cats. They are not known of transmitting any diseases or parasites to cats. However, they can reach the cat during moving or the cat can taste the drain fly worms. These small black worms live in drain and wet places of shower and kitchen and they might carry bacteria on their body. It is highly advised to get rid of them as fast as it is possible. Here is an article where we covered more than dozen ways to get rid of drain worms.