I have rented a place. It usually gets overwhelmed by this kind of insect/fly:
So far I have tried, but none worked:
I have created an isolated safe room for myself in which I study and sleep. On some nights, the rest of the house gets attacked by an army of them.
What is this insect? I'd appreciate any suggestions.
This from your picture:
looks, according to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, like a Clogmia albipunctata, also called a "drain fly":
UofA's website:
These flies occur naturally in shaded locations containing moist, decaying organic matter, such as wet wooded areas or swamps.... They mostly inhabit drains that are used infrequently, such as a guest bathroom shower drain, where water collects in a trap and sits for long periods of time. Larvae develop in this stagnant water, feeding on soap scum and other organic sludge occurring on the inside surfaces of drains and plumbing (algae, fungi, bacteria).
They also live in sink drain overflows. We used to have them in a bathroom sink drain overflow. We had to pour bleach water, hot water, other stuff down the overflow opening to clean it out.
UofA's website suggests putting a cup coated with "vegetable oil or petroleum jelly" over drains to catch the flies, so you'd know if they're in that drain. (We also had to tape the overflow hole.)
Their website also suggests foaming chemical cleansers or a high-pressure drain cleaning service to clean out the schmutz the flies live on. (I'd consider a pressure washer on reasonable pressure, maybe, down the drain and overflow holes.)
