Drain Fly Larvae Photographed With a Microscope

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We received some awesome pictures that a reader took using a light microscope:

drain fly larva

drain fly larva

drain fly larva

She said that she has been finding these 2mm specimens in her bathroom, specifically around the cracks where moisture gathers. She wonders if we can identify them and inform her on how to get rid of them.

She didn’t send any pictures of the full creature, only segments of it captured under the microscope. However, using the excellent photos and the details of where she discovered these specimens, we believe we have solved this mystery! We believe that this reader has found drain fly larvae in her bathroom.

Drain flies lay their eggs in places where masses of organic matter collect. So, kitchen and bathroom drains are a prime niche for these eggs. The larvae feed on the decaying organic matter and on sewage. Since drain fly larvae are usually only active at night, most people never see them. Also, even though these larvae can be associated with sewage, they aren’t known to spread any human diseases.

To get rid of these larvae, our reader will need to give her bathroom a thorough cleaning. Since she noticed them wiggling in the cracks where moisture gathers, that is an excellent place to start. She should use a cleaning product designed to get rid of organic material, as that is the food source for these specimens. Although our reader didn’t mention seeing these larvae near her bathtub or toilet drain, we recommend she clean those too, just in case. Again, she will want to use a drain cleaning product that is aimed to get rid of organic matter. Getting rid of organic matter that is lining the crevices in her bathroom and the grime that is lining the drains and pipes will eliminate the food source for these larvae and they will shortly die out. We hope our reader finds this helpful and doesn’t have any issues when getting rid of these unwanted bathroom visitors.

To wrap up, a reader took some fantastic photos using a light microscope of some creatures that were living in the crevices of her bathroom. We believe these creatures are drain fly larvae, which are easy to get rid of by cleaning!

 

 

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Drain Fly Larvae Photographed With a Microscope
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A reader took some fantastic photos using a light microscope of some creatures that were living in the crevices of her bathroom. We believe these creatures are drain fly larvae, which are easy to get rid of by cleaning!
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori