Case Study: Solving a Persistent Drain Fly Infestation in a Luxury Scottsdale Home
Scottsdale, Arizona – November 2025
Drain flies are often dismissed as a minor nuisance. In reality, they can become one of the most frustrating and difficult pest issues for both homeowners and pest management professionals when the true source of the infestation remains hidden.
This was exactly the situation facing a homeowner at Scottsdale residence.
For months, the homeowner had been battling a persistent drain fly infestation in her kitchen. Multiple pest control companies had been brought in to solve the issue. Every conventional treatment method had been attempted:
- Drain cleaning
- Foaming applications
- Enzyme treatments
- Intensive sanitation efforts
- Deep cleaning of the kitchen area
Each treatment provided temporary relief, but within a short period, the drain flies always returned.
The infestation became so severe that the homeowner eventually installed a commercial-grade fly light in her kitchen simply to make living in the home tolerable.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, the problem continued.
Enter Raptor Pest Control
When Jake Keane of Raptor Pest solutions arrived, his extensive training and experience with the Sewer Assassin brand led him to ask a simple question:
“Has anyone ever performed a plumbing smoke test?”
The response from both the homeowner and her current pest provider was the same:
“What is a plumbing smoke test?”
Jake knew that when drain fly problems continually return after standard treatments, the plumbing system itself must be investigated.
Armed with the FogTrace™ plumbing smoke testing system by Sewer Assassin, Jake began testing the home’s plumbing.
Within minutes, the source of the infestation was identified.
A small, approximately 1/4-inch crack was discovered in the plumbing system where a vent connection tied into the drain line. This hidden breach had been allowing drain flies to breed and emerge inside the structure, completely bypassing traditional treatments.
Without smoke testing, the defect would likely have remained undiscovered.
Closing the Final Gap
Finding the breach was only part of the solution.
While repairs were being coordinated, Jake deployed the Sewer Assassin system equipped with a Nuvan® ProStrip directly within the plumbing system. This allowed treatment to occur where the drain flies were actually living and breeding—inside the plumbing infrastructure itself.
The results were immediate and lasting.
The homeowner finally achieved complete control of the infestation, the hidden plumbing defect was repaired, and the customer retained confidence in her pest service provider.
Drain Fly Infestation Solved: How Plumbing Smoke Testing Found the Hidden Source
This case demonstrates an important lesson for the pest management industry:
When drain fly issues continually reoccur despite proper sanitation and conventional drain treatments, the plumbing system itself should always be investigated.
Traditional methods treat the symptoms.
Plumbing smoke testing identifies the source.
For Raptor Pest Control, the combination of training, experience, the FogTrace system, Sewer Assassin technology and Sewer Assassin technology turned a months-long mystery into a problem solved in minutes.
Happy customer. Problem solved. Service contract retained.
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