Obligatory bed bug treatment

[Beverlin]

Walking Arles / Aragones / Portuguese commencing 20th April. I notice the Miam Miam Do Do has under some of the accommodation listings that bed bug treatment is obligatory. I will be treating my gear with Permethrin at home before I leave New Zealand. Is this sufficient? Obviously I will have no proof of having done this. If more is required, where could I get it done on my arrival in Arles?

 

[Lirsy]

So far, I never found any albergue with this requirement. A different issue is that treating your stuff makes the albergues safer for you and for everyone else.

 

[jsalt]

I notice the Miam Miam Do Do has under some of the accommodation listings that bed bug treatment is obligatory.

Hi, this sounds a bit strange to me. What is the actual wording?

Do they not mean that the establishment itself has frequent bed bug control?

Or maybe it means you are obliged to adhere to their bed bug control rules, for example: leaving your backpack in a designated area, and taking only certain items into the dorms. A lot of places enforce that rule in France.
Jill

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Each place will have its own protocol. It has never included chemicals for me. Typically it is leave your backpack at the door in a plastic bag, and use their sleep sack.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Question...In France do the gites provide the big plastic bags to put your pack in or are you supposed to bring one from home?

 

[caminka]

Question...In France do the gites provide the big plastic bags to put your pack in or are you supposed to bring one from home?

some do that as part of the check-in process (conques comes to mind). some can provide bags on request (gite ultreia in moisac, for example).
these are usually just big garbage bags. you can buy them in any bigger shop on the route.

many gites have their own bug-preventive measures. some require you to leave your backback in a special room and provide a small basket or sack for the essential things to go with you in the bedroom (like the association gite in le puy, communal gite in livinhac, le papillon vert in cahors), some put your backback in a bag and you can take it with you to the bedroom (conques). le papillon vert even provides treated sleepers to shuffle around inside! (and one of the best breakfasts I've seen.)

 

[Beverlin]

Hi, this sounds a bit strange to me. What is the actual wording?

Do they not mean that the establishment itself has frequent bed bug control?

Or maybe it means you are obliged to adhere to their bed bug control rules, for example: leaving your backpack in a designated area, and taking only certain items into the dorms. A lot of places enforce that rule in France.
Jill

There are several different wordings. The one I'm referring to is
"Protection des sacs avec repusilf anti-punaises de lit oblgatoire".
My French isn't great, so maybe I've interpreted incorrectly. My concern really was being turned away after a long day because I hadn't fulfilled the requirements.

 

[mjal]

I agree with your interpretation...as does Google Translate.
"Bag protection with anti-bed bug repellent mandatory".

 

[cdnwine]

Your translation is exact. My wife and I walked Porto to SdC in Feb 2015 and treated our outer back pack and sleeping bag with Permethrin and all was good for us. For one, our route was very quiet, including us we were 4 to 6 nightly. Many Albergues provide a new paper mattress cover for your stay and you dispose of it in the garbage come morning. When not available, you should still feel safe with the Permethrin treatment and following good Albergue practices, mainly keeping your bag off the floor and the use of a bag as recommended by others.

Enjoy

 

[caminka]

There are several different wordings. The one I'm referring to is
"Protection des sacs avec repusilf anti-punaises de lit oblgatoire".
My French isn't great, so maybe I've interpreted incorrectly. My concern really was being turned away after a long day because I hadn't fulfilled the requirements.

I would say that the workind is a bit ambiguous. on one side, it could mean that you have to treat your backpack before arriving to the gite. on the other, it could mean that they provide the spray or other means of treatment and require you to treat your backpack on site. considering that some pilgrims/hikers (still) don't know of bedbugs or treatments for them, I would lean towards the second explanation. perhaps ask when reserving a bed?

 

[Tia Valeria]

Does this actually mean sleeping bag not pack? 'Sac' = bag rather than 'bagage' = luggage/pack.
My French is poor but I wonder if this is where there is some confusion. French speakers/residents from the forum???
Our bag liners are treated but how would the accommodation know unless (like ours) there is a symbol on the 'sac'? and spraying to use that night could be bad health-wise for some who are sensitive to chemicals, so it would be good to have clarification.

 

[cdnwine]

I'm attending a Camino meeting this week and I know that some of the members here have walked from Arles and they would also be familiar with the Miam Miam Do Do. I will ask the question.

 

[grayland]

Like others have posted.....my experience was that many Gites required that you leave your pack in a different room and just take your necessary things into the sleeping area. They all provided a bag for this as I recall.
I have never encountered a mandatory spraying at at Gite...I would not be opposed but have never heard of this happening.
It would be interesting to learn of the actual requirement. Maybe a French speaker could email the gite in question and get a first hand explantion.

 

[janiec]

Your translation is exact. My wife and I walked Porto to SdC in Feb 2015 and treated our outer back pack and sleeping bag with Permethrin and all was good for us. For one, our route was very quiet, including us we were 4 to 6 nightly. Many Albergues provide a new paper mattress cover for your stay and you dispose of it in the garbage come morning. When not available, you should still feel safe with the Permethrin treatment and following good Albergue practices, mainly keeping your bag off the floor and the use of a bag as recommended by others.

Enjoy

I'm walking the same route in April. How did you keep the bag off the floor aside from using plastic bags?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I'm walking the same route in April. How did you keep the bag off the floor aside from using plastic bags?

Hang it from the bunk.

 

[janiec]

Hang it from the bunk.

Thanks for the reply. I've read that some people use S hooks for hanging bags from beds, but if there are bed bugs, wouldn't they get from the bed to the bag that way?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Thanks for the reply. I've read that some people use S hooks for hanging bags from beds, but if there are bed bugs, wouldn't they get from the bed to the bag that way?

Bugs look for food and nesting. If you keep your pack out of the path to the nest, they won’t arbitrarily climb a bunk, cross a carabiner, and nestle into your pack!

 

[Beverlin]

Thanks everyone for your input. I will try emailing various accommodations to determine their requirements.
I will obviously take sensible precautions, but "obligatory "could take it to another level.
Will post an update after first hand experience on my camino.
Happy and safe walking everyone.

 

[trecile]

The only bedbugs that I saw on the Camino were on the bunk above mine, and crawling on the wall near that bunk.

 

[Anamiri]

My understanding is that the bugs are attracted by the presence of carbon dioxide, so unless your pack is breathing, should be reasonably safe - unless they have to crawl over it to get to you..

 

[cdnwine]

I put the question (wording) to members of my french association this evening and all agree that the reference would be regarding the use of bed covers as I previously mentioned and as jsalt mentioned "you are obliged to adhere to their bed bug control rules". i.e. in this case bed covers being mandatory and likely provided by them.