How to Get Rid of Drain Worms in the Shower?

If you have ever seen a long, white worm in your shower drain, you may have wondered what it was. These creatures are known as drain worms, and they can be a nuisance!

In this blog post, we will teach you how to get rid of them using simple household ingredients. Keep reading to learn more!

Image of feet on the bathroom floor near the drain where drain worms could live

13 Ways to Get Rid of Drain Worms in the Bathroom

It can be uncomfortable, to say the least, to find small black drain worms in your bathroom. Here are some home remedies to get rid of your drain worm problem:

1. Pour Boiling Water Down the Drain

This is one of the simplest ways to get rid of drain worms. All you need to do is get boiling water and pour it down the affected drain.

The heat will kill the worms instantly. This will also help to disinfect the area and the heat will loosen any organic matter that the worms may have been feeding on.

2. Pour Salt Down the Drain

Another way to get rid of drain worms is to pour salt down the affected drain. This will kill the worms instantly and can also hold on to the “walls” of your drain, helping to kill any eggs and larvae as well.

3. Use a Plunger

Getting the drain worms to come to the surface can help you to get rid of them, as well as assess how bad the infestation is.

Take a plunger and place it over the drain. Pump up and down vigorously for a few minutes.

You should see the worms start to come to the surface. When they do, use one of these other methods to kill them (such as vinegar or salt) and then wipe them away.

4. Use White Vinegar and Baking Soda

Photo of white vinegar and baking soda on a table top beside a wall that can be used to get rid of drain worms

This combination works great because it foams up, which can help the solution to stay in the pipes a bit instead of simply draining straight down.

Start by pouring a cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by a cup of white vinegar. Plug the drain with a rag or stopper so that the mixture can work its magic for 15-20 minutes.

After that, flush with hot water to rinse everything away.

5. Use Hydrogen Peroxide

This is another great option because it will not only kill the drain worms, but also any eggs that may be present.

Pour a cup of hydrogen peroxide down the drain and let it sit for 15 minutes. After that, flush with hot water several times.

6. Check for a Clog

Clogs are a common cause of drain fly issues since they provide plenty of nutrients for the larvae. You can check for a clog by running water down the drain and seeing if it backs up or drains slowly.

If you do have a clog, you can try to remove it with a plunger or a plumber’s snake.

7. Check Outside for Standing Water

It’s possible that drain flies have entered your home from outside. If there is a leaky or broken pipe, they may have been attracted to the moisture.

Check for any standing water near your home and try to fix any leaks to reduce your problems with sewer flies.

8. Try Using Bio-Enzymatic Cleaners

Bio-enzymatic cleanersare a great way to clean your drains and keep them clear of drain worms. These cleaners are safe to use and will not damage your pipes.

You can find bio-enzymatic cleaners at most hardware stores or online. Follow the instructions on the bottle for the best results.

9. Use a Plumbing Snake

A plumbing snake can help to dislodge drain fly larvae from the edges of your drain pipes in a way that flushing with liquid can’t always do.

Take your snake and insert it into the drain. Slowly move it around to help loosen any larvae that may be attached.

Do this several times and then finish up by flushing hot water down the drain.

10. Add Mineral Oil to the Drain

If you’re looking for a natural way to get rid of drain worms, you can try adding mineral oil to the affected drain. This will help to suffocate the larvae and kill them off.

To use this method, simply add a half cup of mineral oil to the drain and let it sit for 1 hour. After that, flush with hot water or vinegar.

11. Check for Leaking Pipes

Leaking pipes are a common cause of drain fly problems since they provide moisture for the larvae to thrive in.

You can check for leaks by looking for damp spots on your ceilings, walls, or floors. If you find any, try to fix them as soon as possible to reduce your issue with drain flies.

12. Use Insecticide

If you’ve tried all of these methods and you’re still having problems with drain worms, you may need to resort to using insecticide. You can find this at most hardware stores or online.

13. Keep the Bathroom Dry

One of the best ways to prevent drain worm problems is to keep your bathroom dry. This means fixing any leaks, wiping up any water that pools on the floor, and using a fan after showers.

You should also consider getting a dehumidifier for your bathroom to help keep the air dry, especially if you don’t have a vent.

This will make it less inviting for drain worms to enter your home in the first place.

Why Am I Getting Worms in My Shower?

photo of gloved hand holding the dirty drain cover

There are several reasons you may be finding drain worms in your shower. Overall, it is because they like to live in areas that are dark, moist, damp, and cool.

Your shower drain and grout are perfect areas for these insects to breed and flourish.

The organic material that has built up from your showering may still be in the drain area, which provides a food source for the bugs. They enjoy eating certain shampoos, natural oils, soap scum, and even hair.

If you have not cleaned your drain in a while, this could be the perfect environment for these creatures to live in!

Drain worms can also come into your home through sewage pipes that are connected to outside drains. These insects love damp and dark areas, so they will often travel through small cracks and crevices to get into your home.

If you have a sewer pipe that is leaking, this could be how the worms are getting into your bathroom.

Drain flies may have spread their larvae to another area of your home, such as the kitchen sink, and then made their way into the bathroom through the pipes.

If you have seen drain worms in other areas of your home, it is important to treat those areas as well. Otherwise, they will continue to spread and may become a bigger problem.

How Do You Remove Drain Fly Larvae From Grout?

photo of a gloved hand holding a brush while cleaning the floor tiles

Drain worms also like to live in bathroom grout because it is usually porous, dark, and moist. It’s best to scrub your walls with a disinfectant or a bleach and water solution to get rid of these pests.

You can also try using a grout brush with stiff bristles to scrub the area where you see the drain worms.

In order to keep the drain worms from returning to your grout, you can regularly clean them to avoid any organic buildup for the drain worms to eat. This also prevents drain flies from landing on these areas and laying their eggs.

You can also try using a product like a grout sealer to keep the drain worms from coming back. This will create a barrier between your grout and the organic matter that the drain worms feed on.

What Do Drain Worms Eat?

Drain worms primarily eat organic matter, such as hair, food, and grease. This is why it’s important to keep your drains clean!

If you have a lot of drain worms, it may be due to a build-up of organic matter in your pipes. In this case, you may need to call a professional plumber to clear out your pipes.

Are Drain Flies Harmful?

Are drain worms harmful? Generally, no. Drain flies don’t lay eggs in humans, don’t bite, and aren’t known to transmit diseases.

However, if there is a drain fly infestation, it likely means that there is a lot of bacteria, mold, or rotting organic matter present in your home, which can lead to health problems.

It’s best to treat drain worms as soon as you see them in order to prevent an infestation from happening. You’ll also want to keep children and pets away from areas where drain worms and drain flies are present.

This will help to prevent them from accidentally ingesting these creatures.

What Exactly Are Drain Worms?

Photo of several drain flies on top of a closed drain pipe.

The larvae of flies that breed in your plumbing are called drain worms. They are tiny black creatures that feed off of organic matter in your drain pipes, around your drain cover, and even sometimes on your grout and tile.

Drain fly larvae can lead to a drain fly infestation if not taken care of.

Adult drain flies lay eggs that can hatch into drain worms in less than two days. The drain fly larvae take 1 to 30 weeks to become adult drain flies themselves. Drain worms are about 4 to 10 mm long.

Drain flies can be black or white in color and have a segmented body. The difference between drain fly larvae and drain worms is that drain worms do not have wings or eyes and need to stay in dark, damp places to survive.

Drain worms are commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms because these are the places where there is the most organic matter for them to feed on.

If you have ever seen a small white or black worm in your kitchen or bathroom, chances are it was a drain worm.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let drain flies or drain worms take over your home! Try these tried and true methods to get rid of them and keep them from coming back.

Regularly flush your tub with boiling water or drain cleaner to prevent them from coming back. You’ll be glad you did!

picture of shower drain with text overlay that reads How to get rid of drain worms in the shower

About Emma

Hey there! I'm Emma. When I'm not wrangling kids I like to walk aimlessly around hardware stores and watch HGTV for hours on end.

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