vpwalsh829
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- May 2012 Leon-Santiago; Sep 2022 St. Jean-Moxia.
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As hospitaleros/as we check for bed bugs daily, but as @Ianinam mentioned, it only takes one pilgrim to bring them into the albergue/hotel. If a bed bug wants to bite you, it will not be deterred by permethrin, but it might die later in your pack before you get to the next albergue. There are several good threads on the forum about bedbugs. They are not a reflection of how clean someplace is. If you do get bitten, please tell the hospitalera so they can help you get rid of them. Heat is what kills them so often we can put your clothes in a hot dryer or set your pack in the hot sun in a black plastic trashbag.I have read several comments regarding bed bugs in the hostels/albergues. I would have thought the lodgings would be diligently cleaned and sanitized because of the potential spread of the Covid virus. Can any recently returned pilgrims comment on this? I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Still please tell the hospitalera/o as they may have access to resources that are not normally available to pilgrims to help treat this problem. I am seeing more clothes dryers in or nearby the albergues where I volunteer. (Voltage in Spain is 230V I believe for all appliances.)This September will be my seventh visit to Spain, walking on various Caminos. I have found that finding a "Hot" clothes dryer has been a rare thing for me. Large towns and cities OK, but villages and Albergues, not so much. Often there will be a clothes washer, and water extractor, but no dryer, or one running on 120V, not 220V which is necessary for high heat.
I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks.
You're absolutely correct. I had forgotten. Lo SeintoStill please tell the hospitalera/o as they may have access to resources that are not normally available to pilgrims to help treat this problem. I am seeing more clothes dryers in or nearby the albergues where I volunteer. (Voltage in Spain is 230V I believe for all appliances.)
They can still get in Rick.Try a neoprene wet suit.
I think that it's important to treat you gear while you are still on the Camino before you return home just to make sure that you aren't inadvertently transporting bed bugs from albergue to albergue!I went through my stuff really thoroughly. (I know what to look for after encountering them in Sienna.) I found no evidence in my kit but I still treated it once home.
Easily said but not necessarily true. I react very badly to mosquito bites but rarely get more than half a dozen. I had well in excess of 50 bedbug bites I just could not count them all and the itchiness nearly drove me to distraction. They bite in rows or little clumps, very close groups of bites. Farmacias are easy to find on Camino but far less so in the Westfjords of Iceland.Everybody gets them eventually but usually they're not a bother, mosquitoes are far worse.
Never ran into any over five Caminos. Good pilgrim etiquette helps with prevention like never placing back packs or anything that’s been sitting on the ground on beds.I have read several comments regarding bed bugs in the hostels/albergues. I would have thought the lodgings would be diligently cleaned and sanitized because of the potential spread of the Covid virus. Can any recently returned pilgrims comment on this? I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Also good to check your belongings on bedbugs before you leave home so you don’t bring them into Spain. After all bedbugs are everywhere!I have read several comments regarding bed bugs in the hostels/albergues. I would have thought the lodgings would be diligently cleaned and sanitized because of the potential spread of the Covid virus. Can any recently returned pilgrims comment on this? I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
We got back July 10. Didn’t see any bed bugs.I have read several comments regarding bed bugs in the hostels/albergues. I would have thought the lodgings would be diligently cleaned and sanitized because of the potential spread of the Covid virus. Can any recently returned pilgrims comment on this? I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Yes, silk is a very nice fabric for sheets. Since it is very light weight, it is a good choice for a sheet that you need to carry in your pack. However, there is no evidence that silk fabric is more effective than cotton or polyester fabric for deterring bedbugs.Silk bedsheets work.
This is good etiquette for reasons of general cleanliness. I never really understood the logic of connecting it to bedbug control. Bedbugs are fully capable of walking from the floor to the bed, following the carbon dioxide trail of the human sleeping there.never placing back packs or anything that’s been sitting on the ground on beds.
Silk has no magical properties against bedbugs - they are too large to get through any tightly woven fabric. They can easily get into a silk liner the same way that you do, through that big opening at the top.Silk bedsheets work.
I find this repeated description to be a bit creepy. And inappropriate.the age appropriate one
Dude it was totally wholesome. Just adding context to the story... would you rather me talking to the age inappropriate one?I find this repeated description to be a bit creepy. And inappropriate.
Get it. Just sayin, it's human and nice when reciprocated.Just sayin. (But admittedly, I'm of an age where anybody can talk to me without compromise.)
Don't connect 'cleanliness' with 'bedbugs'.I have read several comments regarding bed bugs in the hostels/albergues. I would have thought the lodgings would be diligently cleaned and sanitized because of the potential spread of the Covid virus. Can any recently returned pilgrims comment on this? I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Just check the bed before you settle in. Bedbugs leave signs, and you may even see them if present. I just finished 900 miles in Spain without incident, but have been bedbugged three times: once on the Via Francigena, once on the Norte, and once in a motel in Nebraska. Good luck.I have read several comments regarding bed bugs in the hostels/albergues. I would have thought the lodgings would be diligently cleaned and sanitized because of the potential spread of the Covid virus. Can any recently returned pilgrims comment on this? I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
This just isn't true for some people. My godson spent three days in Burgos Hospital being treated for his severe reaction to bedbug bites. He was much more rigourous after that checking for bedbugs where ever he stayed.Everybody gets them eventually but usually they're not a bother, mosquitoes are far worse.
Chuck all your clothes in a drier and everything else in a binbag in the sun for a while, and that's it ... Gone. I met a French pilgrim once who was going to quit the Camino when the critters alighted on her. But really, they're not worth any fuss.
Didn’t experience any on the Camino Frances this year. Every Albergue I stayed at was spotlessly clean.I have read several comments regarding bed bugs in the hostels/albergues. I would have thought the lodgings would be diligently cleaned and sanitized because of the potential spread of the Covid virus. Can any recently returned pilgrims comment on this? I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Saw a bunch of bed frames enjoying a sun bath outside one albergue. Initially thought that it was a bit odd and then it clicked.The point of the story is that you can't always trust hospitaleros to do the right thing, as with any human. They knew they had a problem but invited us to attend regardless. One time, only once, but now at least I understand I have to have an eye out. That's it. 99% of hospitaleros: no issue.
Thank you! U get it!Saw a bunch of bed frames enjoying a sun bath outside one albergue. Initially thought that it was a bit odd and then it clicked.
Ok, so I have wondered about this... Instead of washing / drying them? I will never use an Albergue blanket again.When I served at San Anton, I would hang the clunky old army blankets out in the sun every day or two.
And worth bearing in mind that our constant companions do not live in blankets. They’ll take their shelter from the revealing light of day in narrow crevices, cracks in the stonework, the start-gaps in old wooden bed frames and the like. Some fuzzy bunch of sheep wool or woven Egyptian finest offers them no protection from predators or that squishing thumb. They’ve been on the planet at least as long as we have. They may not quite match average human intelligence but they ain’t stupid eitherActually hanging them in the sun is a pretty effective way to sanitize them because of the ultraviolet light. They may not be "clean" (as in dirt actually removed), but surface bacteria are killed. I don't think it is hot enough to kill bed bugs though unless you put them in a black plastic bag where the heat will be more intense. Even that may not work depending on the ambient temperature outside.
Ok, looked it up. Apparently they evolved like 115 million years ago, About 50 million years before our mammalian friends had a chance to take over after the impact near today's Mexico gulf. Regardless, just wash and dry the blanketsAnd worth bearing in mind that our constant companions do not live in blankets
While I'm waiting for this anti-bedbug material I will continue to treat the inside of my backpack, my sleeping gear, and all of my cloth stuff sacks with permethrin. Although it doesn't repel them or kill them on contact it should kill them if they spend some time in contact with my treated gear.What to look for and how they might be caught in the future.
Please remember San Anton has no electricity or washing facilities.Ok, so I have wondered about this... Instead of washing / drying them? I will never use an Albergue blanket again.
It has a heart though. May it beat foreverPlease remember San Anton has no electricity or washing facilities.
Couldn't remember. Never been but understoodPlease remember San Anton has no electricity or washing facilities.
You clearly didn't appreciate how modern and extensive the laundry arrangements are at San AntonOk, so I have wondered about this... Instead of washing / drying them? I will never use an Albergue blanket again.
What to look for and how they might be caught in the future.
Does one permethrin treatment before you leave home last the whole Camino Frances? What about if you wash your gear?While I'm waiting for this anti-bedbug material I will continue to treat the inside of my backpack, my sleeping gear, and all of my cloth stuff sacks with permethrin. Although it doesn't repel them or kill them on contact it should kill them if they spend some time in contact with my treated gear.
Many of us carry lightweight alternatives and don't need the blankets. Blankets are not something easy to wash every night in the best of circumstances! Besides blankets are not where bedbugs live.Ok, looked it up. Apparently they evolved like 115 million years ago, About 50 million years before our mammalian friends had a chance to take over after the impact near today's Mexico gulf. Regardless, just wash and dry the blankets
It should, but longevity depends on the application method. My recollection is that spray applications should remain effective for half a dozen or washes. If you soak, that will last many times longer, enough for any clothing to be washed daily on the Camino.Does one permethrin treatment before you leave home last the whole Camino Frances? What about if you wash your gear?
I don't treat my clothing, and most of the things that I do treat - inside of backpack, cloth stuff sacks and sleeping gear don't get washed at all, or maybe just a couple of times while on Camino.It should, but longevity depends on the application method. My recollection is that spray applications should remain effective for half a dozen or washes. If you soak, that will last many times longer, enough for any clothing to be washed daily on the Camino.
It wasn't clear from the question whether it was about both clothing and equipment like bedding. Treated clothing isn't generally going to be effective against bedbugs unless one is sleeping fully clothed! It is more likely to be used where mosquitos, ticks or other insects are a problem during the day, and even then as one part of a protection regime with an insect repellent.I don't treat my clothing, and most of the things that I do treat - inside of backpack, cloth stuff sacks and sleeping gear don't get washed at all, or maybe just a couple of times while on Camino.
An alternative suggestion is to immerse yourself and all your camino gear in a 48 gallon vat of Lavender Oil for a month before your camino but I believe that resolution to be un-tested and I'm certainly not inclined to test it
that and peregrinos putting their packs on their beds when they have been asked not toSilk bedsheets work. As was said before. Bedbugs hitch a ride on other people's packs. The albergues do thier best to keep thier places safe and clean.
My experience started 5 years ago. Although it’s not recent, I think it’s worth to share. I discovered my bed bug bites in Pamplona. Who know where I actually got bitten, it could have been from days earlier at SJPP. I only had 4 bites. They were small and mildly itchy. I immediately washed and dried everything! Fast forward 24 hours, I noticed that i had even more bites and my bites got more itchy and began to welt. Everyday I checked every inch of my body, backpack, clothing/shoes. I also throughly inspected my bed and walls around it. Unfortunately the bites on my back got so itchy and swollen that it was very difficult to carry my backpack. I definitely had an allergic reaction. I never even saw them. I had to take a day off to get to the nearest big town/city - Logrono to find a laundromat with industrial sized/heat dryer. For the rest of the camino I was bedbug free but psychologically I was worried about them every night. Nevertheless I had a wonderful time on the Camino that year and I walked all of the Frances except for the Meseta. I vowed to return someday.I have read several comments regarding bed bugs in the hostels/albergues. I would have thought the lodgings would be diligently cleaned and sanitized because of the potential spread of the Covid virus. Can any recently returned pilgrims comment on this? I am considering buying a permethrin treated bedsheet and laying it over the mattress, then sleeping in an untreated sleeping bag liner. I don't feel comfortable having my skin touching the permethrin bedsheet night after night for several weeks. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
So I spent the day again washing and drying all my clothes
. Do everything you can to prevent getting bitten. Even though permethrin sheets didn’t work for me, I can say that I tried it.
If you get bedbugs. Do everything you can to kill them immediately. Do not bring them to the next albergue and absolutely do not bring them home!
it could have been from days earlier at SJPP
Another reminder is that the reaction to the bites may emerge over several days. If bites keep appearing, it does not necessarily mean that you are still carrying bugs and getting new bites. It might just be a delayed reaction. Nevertheless, I would still want to repeat the treatment, just in case.I noticed that i had even more bites
At the next albergue, inform the hospitalero at check-in that you have encountered them and ask for help in eliminating them. When we got such a report, we put the pilgrim's backpack and anything else that decency allowed¹ into a plastic bag with lots of spray. Then we escorted him her to the shower and bagged the clothes they handed out. Left clean ones from our stash for them to put on after. Washed and dried the clothes he/she arrived in at 60°C or hotter.1. Bed bugs are REAL
2. Some people get bitten but most people do not
3. Very few people have an allergic reaction. Of these, some may need hospital attention
4. Do everything you can to prevent getting bitten. Even though permethrin sheets didn’t work for me, I can say that I tried it.
5. If you get bedbugs. Do everything you can to kill them immediately. Do not bring them to the next albergue and absolutely do not bring them home!
More likely DEET. Permethrin needs to be applied in an open area and left to dry before touching it.A couple of places supplied large plastic bags to put our packs in, one sprayed a substance into the bag containing out packs and sealed it - presumably permethrin
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