Pretoria residents warned of drain fly infestation

Pretoria residents have been cautioned to watch out for drain flies breeding in water.

This is the second warning this year about the drain fly infestation in the city’s water, reports Pretoria North Rekord.

The drain flies are also known as moth flies or sink flies.

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Tshwane metro said residents had to be aware of drain flies that bred in stagnant water and often laid their eggs in the overflow of baths and basins due to the recent high temperatures experienced across the city.

Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said: “Habitually, moth flies usually go inside the taps that have no sieves and lay eggs.

“The larvae will then appear when these eggs hatch, which can contaminate the water.”

Mashigo said due to the fact that moth flies were active at night, its larvae were likely to be seen in the morning.

He said where residents noticed the larvae present in their water these had not originated from the city’s bulk water lines.

Mashigo advised residents to treat these larvae by spraying bleach around and inside taps, as well as inside the overflow of baths and basins, using hot water to rinse away the bleach after spraying.

“To keep drain flies away, ensure that the stagnant water is cleared in kitchens and bathrooms and that overflows are kept clean.”

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