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Bed bugs!

The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
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@Gruffalo Jim I hate the idea of getting infested. I start to itch just thinking about it. I have read a lot, but I am not sure there is a fool proof way to avoid them. Maybe inspection of area is the best bet. I have used premetherin for years to combat mosquitos and ticks, and planned on treating everything before my Camino. However, I listened to the Camino podcast, and Dave interviewed a professor from Kentucky who indicated that premetherin did not work against bedbugs. In either case, I think I am going to treat my stuff because it is what I have always done and should deter most other creepy crawlers (peace of mind). Here is a hyperlink to a soak method for premetherin for your review. I am going to have a large black plastic garbage bag in the bottom of my pack in case the little buggers are lucky enough to find me. There is lots of good advice on how to eradicate them once infested on the forum.
 
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I did Frances in summer 2015. Considering that one doesn't usually 'see' bedbugs, being tiny and nocturnal, I saw them in three hostels which suggests that they are rampant. Personally, I wouldn't drive myself crazy trying to avoid them en route. A few bed bug bites is really no big deal. The real issue is just making sure they don't get into your house or you'll be driven crazy trying to get rid of them.

When you get home, don't take anything into the house...strip down naked...everything that can should be washed and/or dried in hot, hot, hot. Anything else, inspect, spray. You can put things in freezer and/or tie things off in plastic bags, though I believe they are resilient so need to be in there a really long time.
 
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The real issue is just making sure they don't get into your house or you'll be driven crazy trying to get rid of them.
The real issue is that you don't transport them to the next albergue!
Don't wait until you go home to take care of bed bugs. If you have been bitten, and suspect that you may have bed bugs in your pack please do everyone a favor and take care of it immediately!
 
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Three years in Spain on Camino's, zero bed bug issues so far. I always have gone in April, so not sure if the cooler weather helps or I have just been lucky so far. Not something I worry about very much.
 
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Take a good look around a bit before you put your stuff down. Also trust your gut. In the two albergues where I encountered either bugs or people who had been bitten by bedbugs, the initial impression was that the dorms and beds were not quite as clean as they could have been.
I now don't take any clothing that can't go in the dryer....
 
The bedbug issue on this forum is exaggerated.
I have spent well over 100 nights on the Camino in all manner of accommodations. The gambit of them. Never saw a bedbug. Never was bit by one. Never stayed in one where I later spoke with a fellow pilgrim who had stayed in it at the same time, who said they were bit by one.
Bedbugs play no role in my Camino walk planning and really give them little thought while walking the Camino and I suggest everyone do so, unless you like worrying for the sake of it.
and no way would I soak my clothes or sleeping bag/liner down with a toxic, possible carcinogen chemical liquid and then have it have contact with my skin for several hours a day.
ultreia.....walk without fear or worries
 
My walking companion was bitten to death by bedbugs, and another young woman showed me her bites - they loved her, it was the third time she'd been attacked. Fortunately I don't seem to be to their taste.

I carried a tiny bottle of permethrin and sprayed the inside of my pack before flying home. I was so glad I did, because I found two dead bedbugs when I emptied my pack.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I carried a tiny bottle of permethrin and sprayed the inside of my pack before flying home. I was so glad I did, because I found two dead bedbugs when I emptied my pack.
Ahhhh! My worst nightmare. Was so afraid I had brought them home when the bumps kept appearing post-arrival.
 
@Mark Lee you are the eternal optimist. I love your carefree, take it as it comes attitude! I hope our paths cross sometime for a cerveza or two. I will be the guy loosing his hair from the premetherin:D,
ha ha...no worries on the beer front though. I'll buy the first round.
You will see once you get on the Camino. There really is nothing about it at all that requires concern. It's all so simple and basic.
cheers
 
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I did Frances in summer 2015. Considering that one doesn't usually 'see' bedbugs, being tiny and nocturnal, I saw them in three hostels which suggests that they are rampant. Personally, I wouldn't drive myself crazy trying to avoid them en route. A few bed bug bites is really no big deal. The real issue is just making sure they don't get into your house or you'll be driven crazy trying to get rid of them.

When you get home, don't take anything into the house...strip down naked...everything that can should be washed and/or dried in hot, hot, hot. Anything else, inspect, spray. You can put things in freezer and/or tie things off in plastic bags, though I believe they are resilient so need to be in there a really long time.

You're right but once your backpack get infested by bedbugs you are going to spread them in any place you'll sleep in.

Not so fair towards the albergues and the other pilgrims...


Whenever you notice your things are possibly infested you should warn some hospitaler@: (s)he knows what to do to get your things rid of that insects and their eggs.
You have to strip naked (usually the hospitaler@ can lend you something to put on) and to put ALL your things (backpack included) into a big plastic bag, spraying permethrine inside it; then fasten the bag and wait about an hour before taking back your things and having them washed and dryed.

That's all.
 
The bedbug issue on this forum is exaggerated.
I have spent well over 100 nights on the Camino in all manner of accommodations. The gambit of them. Never saw a bedbug. Never was bit by one. Never stayed in one where I later spoke with a fellow pilgrim who had stayed in it at the same time, who said they were bit by one.
Bedbugs play no role in my Camino walk planning and really give them little thought while walking the Camino and I suggest everyone do so, unless you like worrying for the sake of it.
and no way would I soak my clothes or sleeping bag/liner down with a toxic, possible carcinogen chemical liquid and then have it have contact with my skin for several hours a day.
ultreia.....walk without fear or worries

I have slept about 200 nights in albergues from 2009 on, while walking my several Caminos and one time i got seriously bitten by fleas: it was during my Camino del Norte in 2010, just after i passed Santander (it was in an Albergue called Regato de las Anguilas: i don't know if it's still open).
Fleas infested my backpack and i couldn't get rid of them until i got to Gijòn, some days after.
Also a friend of mine, with whom i had started my Camino, got bitten.
After that bad experience i started to treat my garments and my backpack with permethrine every year, just a few days before leaving Italy to Spain for my yearly Camino.

I can assure you all that the bedbugs issue is more real than we can guess, according to what the hospitaleros themselves tell if you start talking about this subject: but much people, when bitten or with an infested backpack, either just ignore the problem, or are unaware of it or, more probably, they are too ashamed to to tell and face the problem.
 
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I'm starting on 24 the April, will be spraying pack and sleeping bag...Bought a cheap one today which i may ditch at end of walk, should i suffer!
 
My walking companion was bitten to death by bedbugs, and another young woman showed me her bites - they loved her, it was the third time she'd been attacked. Fortunately I don't seem to be to their taste.

I carried a tiny bottle of permethrin and sprayed the inside of my pack before flying home. I was so glad I did, because I found two dead bedbugs when I emptied my pack.
 
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Jim, the only time I've been bitten by a bedbug was from the seat on a night flight years ago - in a typical straight-line-pattern with several bites in a row, and they itched like crazy for about a week. On Camino, I roomed with someone who had been bitten badly at a previous albergue (and had a worse allergic reaction to the bites with large welts all over her back) who had to hike to the town with a clinic and get treatment for them. Then the new albergue took over her bag, gave her some temporary clothes, and hot-washed and dried everything she'd brought with her. Both night flights and albergues are perfect places for bedbugs: dark, tons of people exhaling CO2 in enclosed places.

I take everything outdoors, spray Permethrin on the outsides of my backpack, sleeping bag and hiking shoes, and as I'm ready to leave, I spray a bit on the back of my airplane clothes and shoes. Might sound like overkill, but I've not had any trouble with bedbugs on the Camino or on the night flights.
 
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Education is never exaggerated.

And the bedbug issue is very real on the Camino.
Ask the frustrated hospitaleras or albergue owners who spray and clean, just to have one pilgrim carry them BACK into the place next day.
Ask those who have had to spend thousands of dollars trying to get rid of them at home.
Ask those who have welts the size of half-dollars covering their bodies, some of whom have to be hospitalized.
Ask Linda, one of my pilgrims, who picked them up in Roncesvalles, her first night on the Camino, and whose body was covered in bites.

If you haven't seen a bedbug nor been bitten, you've been lucky - and that's great for you.
But don't think they don't exist just because you don't see them.

It's one thing to be paranoid.
It's another to be ignorant.

Know what to look for and take precautions.
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/06/dont-let-bedbugs-bite.html
 
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Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

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No bedbugs.
No wild dogs.
No abattoirs and the screams and smells of death.
and actually overall, I had no worries on the Camino. Just a good time.
Are we talking about the same Camino Frances, or were some of y'all walking the one Ms. MacLaine was on? C'mon now, fess up if you were. :D
 
Oh, they're there alright. This is Pedro from Pamplona.

I have to disagree on blaming the pilgrims for them being transported. A person would almost never really know if a itty bitty bug had hitched a ride. You almost never seem them. They come out in the middle of the night and in daylight they're hiding in teeny weeny crevices. And even if you did see one, it would almost certainly be when you are unpacking in the afternoon and who knows where that one would have come from! (I only caught this one because I knew enough, when I got up when it was still pitch dark out, to throw a light on the bed and see if anyone was there) It just is what it is. Unless there is a coordinated plan of every pilgrim, stripping, washing, fumigating, etc, every night along the way, with all albergues doing the same, it would be hard to stop them.

As I said...I assume they're there. I just worry about it once I get home. Pedro.jpg
 
I have slept about 200 nights in albergues from 2009 on, while walking my several Caminos and one time i got seriously bitten by fleas: it was during my Camino del Norte in 2010, just after i passed Santander (it was in an Albergue called Regato de las Anguilas: i don't know if it's still open).
Fleas infested my backpack and i couldn't get rid of them until i got to Gijòn, some days after.
Also a friend of mine, with whom i had started my Camino, got bitten.
After that bad experience i started to treat my garments and my backpack with permethrine every year, just a few days before leaving Italy to Spain for my yearly Camino.

I can assure you all that the bedbugs issue is more real than we can guess, according to what the hospitaleros themselves tell if you start talking about this subject: but much people, when bitten or with an infested backpack, either just ignore the problem, or are unaware of it or, more probably, they are too ashamed to to tell and face the problem.


Do you think that it is possible that some people might have mistaken fleas for bedbugs some of the time? how can you tell a fleabite from a bedbug bite? Granted, fleas are no fun to have either.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Oh, they're there alright. This is Pedro from Pamplona.

I have to disagree on blaming the pilgrims for them being transported. A person would almost never really know if a itty bitty bug had hitched a ride. You almost never seem them. They come out in the middle of the night and in daylight they're hiding in teeny weeny crevices. And even if you did see one, it would almost certainly be when you are unpacking in the afternoon and who knows where that one would have come from! (I only caught this one because I knew enough, when I got up when it was still pitch dark out, to throw a light on the bed and see if anyone was there) It just is what it is. Unless there is a coordinated plan of every pilgrim, stripping, washing, fumigating, etc, every night along the way, with all albergues doing the same, it would be hard to stop them.

As I said...I assume they're there. I just worry about it once I get home. View attachment 32684
I saw 4 bedbugs total on the Norte last spring in 3 alburgues, all in the morning once lights were turned on, climbing up the walls. Was glad I had treated my sheet, outside of sleeping bag and pack. If nothing else, it helped me sleep easier each night, which was worth alot!
 
Being bitten is not a big deal to most people and so far there is no evidence that it causes anything worse than a severe local reaction in some people.

But who knows? We never used to be concerned about being bitten by ticks - now we know about Lyme disease and mammalian meat allergy. Fleas have been with us forever and generally are not a problem. Except for bubonic plague!

The spread of bedbugs is real. To minimise risk I think it would be really helpful to eliminate the embarrassment factor. And ignorance. That is why I think it helps to talk about bedbugs, not to alarm people but in a matter-of-fact kind of way.
 
My friend is an exterminator and he said that Permathin and DDT no longer work due to over exposure unless you are able to spray it right on them. Besides as noted above, it's not good for humans or animals. He stated that diotomaceous earth (DE) a white powder works best. Can be used on bedding and on self not harmful to humans or animals. The other option as deterrent but not killer, are essential oils such as tea tree, lavender oil, peppermint oil etc. These strong scents would most likely turn bugs from you to non treated victims close by...Just from experience, critters seem to be more prevalent in summer but I think they are always around, maybe just more active. I've traveled a lot and have always used Burt Bees peppermint cream after showering. This has worked for me when others have gotten feasted upon...It has a calming effect so maybe I just sleep better
 
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Jim, the only time I've been bitten by a bedbug was from the seat on a night flight years ago - in the typical straight-line-pattern with several bites in a row, and they itched like crazy for about a week. On Camino, I roomed with someone who had been bitten badly at a previous albergue (and had a worse allergic reaction to the bites with large welts all over her back) who had to hike to the town with a clinic and get treatment for them. Then the new albergue took over her bag, gave her some temporary clothes, and hot-washed and dried everything she'd brought with her. Both night flights and albergues are perfect places for bedbugs: dark, tons of people exhaling CO2 in enclosed places.

I take everything outdoors, spray Permethrin on the outsides of my backpack, sleeping bag and hiking shoes, and as I'm ready to leave, I spray a bit on the back of my airplane clothes and shoes. Might sound like overkill, but I've not had any trouble with bedbugs on the Camino or on the night flights.
 
I find Deet works better on bed bugs than permethin. Hoping to be lucky, but will be packing spray fosho.

Please don't spray it inside the albergues. That stuff seriously stinks!

I have to disagree on blaming the pilgrims for them being transported. A person would almost never really know if a itty bitty bug had hitched a ride.
If someone knows that they have been bitten and doesn't take precautions against spreading them, then I do blame them. When I was bitten I assumed that I could possibly be carrying them, and told the hospitalera at the next albergue that I stayed at. She was wonderful, and helped me take care of everything.

If you do suspect bedbugs, don't be embarrassed. Just tell the hospitaler/a. They have experience and know what to do.
 
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The bedbug issue on this forum is exaggerated.
I have spent well over 100 nights on the Camino in all manner of accommodations. The gambit of them. Never saw a bedbug. Never was bit by one. Never stayed in one where I later spoke with a fellow pilgrim who had stayed in it at the same time, who said they were bit by one.
Bedbugs play no role in my Camino walk planning and really give them little thought while walking the Camino and I suggest everyone do so, unless you like worrying for the sake of it.
and no way would I soak my clothes or sleeping bag/liner down with a toxic, possible carcinogen chemical liquid and then have it have contact with my skin for several hours a day.
ultreia.....walk without fear or worries
Ditto.

Ca. 200 nights in albergues. Never saw one. But of course, I study the place I'm staying in.
 
Being bitten is not a big deal to most people and so far there is no evidence that it causes anything worse than a severe local reaction in some people.

But who knows? We never used to be concerned about being bitten by ticks - now we know about Lyme disease and mammalian meat allergy. Fleas have been with us forever and generally are not a problem. Except for bubonic plague!

The spread of bedbugs is real. To minimise risk I think it would be really helpful to eliminate the embarrassment factor. And ignorance. That is why I think it helps to talk about bedbugs, not to alarm people but in a matter-of-fact kind of way.
Your post makes good sense. My problem is not so much that I fear the bite itself, but imagining them slowly climbing into bed with me totally freaks me out and gives me the "heebie jeebies"! :eek:
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
Do you think that it is possible that some people might have mistaken fleas for bedbugs some of the time? how can you tell a fleabite from a bedbug bite? Granted, fleas are no fun to have either.
Fleas are much smaller, are flat and jump around. Bedbugs are shaped more like a small apple seed and crawl slowly.
 
My friend is an exterminator and he said that Permathin and DDT no longer work due to over exposure unless you are able to spray it right on them. Besides as noted above, it's not good for humans or animals. He stated that diotomaceous earth (DE) a white powder works best. Can be used on bedding and on self not harmful to humans or animals. The other option as deterrent but not killer, are essential oils such as tea tree, lavender oil, peppermint oil etc. These strong scents would most likely turn bugs from you to non treated victims close by...Just from experience, critters seem to be more prevalent in summer but I think they are always around, maybe just more active. I've traveled a lot and have always used Burt Bees peppermint cream after showering. This has worked for me when others have gotten feasted upon...It has a calming effect so maybe I just sleep better

I can't really speak to Permathin, because I have no familiarity with it, as from what I have read the jury is still out as to whether it does work, did work but no longer does or never worked in the first place. But I do beg to differ with your friend's opinion on DDT: One of the reasons why Bedbugs are on the rise world wide is because DDT is no longer used due to environmental concerns.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8255997.stm

Bedbugs are hitchhikers, and have turned up in 5 star hotels, airports, the Kennedy Center, libraries among many other places one would deem unlikely.
 
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No bedbugs.
No wild dogs.
No abattoirs and the screams and smells of death.
and actually overall, I had no worries on the Camino. Just a good time.
Are we talking about the same Camino Frances, or were some of y'all walking the one Ms. MacLaine was on? C'mon now, fess up if you were. :D
Now that's funny! Someone just gave me her book to read. I thought I'd bring it with me and read it at night after walking all day.
 
2 caminos and 60 alburgue nights and have never seen any or been bitten. Maybe I smell and taste bad? Maybe I'll get some bug love next time.

Have only met one person who had been bitten and it was the excellent hospitalaros at Gaucelmol in Rabanal who pointed it out to him in a very diplomatic way and also asked him which alburgue he stayed in in Astorga the night before. They are trained to look out for tell tale tracks on the arms and legs of new arrivals and have a well worn ritual of decontaminating the packs of those affected and laundering all their clothes for them. If all alburgues were so vigilant the problem would be reduced significantly.
 
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Having dinner with a new camino buddy in Molinaseca, I noticed the backs of his hands were a mess. He told me he had been taken care of at the Gaucelmo albergue in Rabanal. The hospitaleros took one look at him when he arrived, stripped him naked, shoved him in the shower, then proceeded to sort out his pack. After I had been bitten in Molinaseca (a different year), I tried telling the hospitalero at the next albergue and showed him the bites, but all he offered was some cream to put on them. Fortunately I knew what to do without his help. It is important to know what to do if you do get bitten. Most people don’t get bitten . . . . well, lucky them . . . . for those that do, just make sure you don’t carry any bugs forward.
Jill
 
Now that's funny! Someone just gave me her book to read. I thought I'd bring it with me and read it at night after walking all day.
One chapter of it was about all I could stomach.
I suppose there could be some comic relief reading it while walking the Camno. :D
 
Oh, they're there alright. This is Pedro from Pamplona.

I have to disagree on blaming the pilgrims for them being transported. A person would almost never really know if a itty bitty bug had hitched a ride. You almost never seem them. They come out in the middle of the night and in daylight they're hiding in teeny weeny crevices. And even if you did see one, it would almost certainly be when you are unpacking in the afternoon and who knows where that one would have come from! (I only caught this one because I knew enough, when I got up when it was still pitch dark out, to throw a light on the bed and see if anyone was there) It just is what it is. Unless there is a coordinated plan of every pilgrim, stripping, washing, fumigating, etc, every night along the way, with all albergues doing the same, it would be hard to stop them.

As I said...I assume they're there. I just worry about it once I get home. View attachment 32684

Can't tell if 'Pedro the bedbug' is smiling in your picture or not? I wonder what country of origin pilgrims he prefers to munch on the most?
 
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Three years in Spain on Camino's, zero bed bug issues so far. I always have gone in April, so not sure if the cooler weather helps or I have just been lucky so far. Not something I worry about very much.
...or maybe you do not "react" to the bites. Some people don't. I've finally worked out that my bites take about 36 hours to appear, but before I figured that out, I never knew which hostel or guest house actually had them.
 
I've finally worked out that my bites take about 36 hours to appear, but before I figured that out, I never knew which hostel or guest house actually had them.

Hi, I knew exactly where I got mine. That particular night, quite unusually, I had slept on my tummy with arms stretched above and curled around my head. It was (as you say) about 36 hours later, when my sister looked at me and said “why are you scratching your arms?” Sure enough, along both forearms (nowhere else), were the bites: breakfast, lunch and dinner. I am pretty sure I had only got bitten, not carried any with me, but I did the whole process anyway of decontaminating, just in case.
Jill
 
Jim, the only time I've been bitten by a bedbug was from the seat on a night flight years ago - in a typical straight-line-pattern with several bites in a row, and they itched like crazy for about a week. On Camino, I roomed with someone who had been bitten badly at a previous albergue (and had a worse allergic reaction to the bites with large welts all over her back) who had to hike to the town with a clinic and get treatment for them. Then the new albergue took over her bag, gave her some temporary clothes, and hot-washed and dried everything she'd brought with her. Both night flights and albergues are perfect places for bedbugs: dark, tons of people exhaling CO2 in enclosed places.

I take everything outdoors, spray Permethrin on the outsides of my backpack, sleeping bag and hiking shoes, and as I'm ready to leave, I spray a bit on the back of my airplane clothes and shoes. Might sound like overkill, but I've not had any trouble with bedbugs on the Camino or on the night flights.
People like me REALLY like people like who who take precautions out of consideration for others:) If more of us took precautions, we wouldn't spread these parasites from auberge to auberge, person to person, and the Camino could be a lot more worry-free and enjoyable for everyone, I'm sure.
 
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I hope that I never come across them. However I know that they can also be found in 5 star hotels anywhere in the world. In fact I think it was (the whole city of) New York, that a had a plague in the top Hotels about 10-15 years ago. I'm allergic to Pyrethrum and it's by-products, so can't use it. Probably lucky about that because even if I wasn't, I personally don't think that I'd soak the things that I was going to put against my skin in it. So I look for them on arrival fairly well, and cross my fingers. Interesting I've never done it in a Hotel anywhere in the world, because I assume they'd never be there, despite that I know they can just as easily be. So I guess it's a Camino mindset. They're there (somewhere) of course, but they are in top hotels in other countries too.
 
I hope that I never come across them. However I know that they can also be found in 5 star hotels anywhere in the world. In fact I think it was (the whole city of) New York, that a had a plague in the top Hotels about 10-15 years ago. I'm allergic to Pyrethrum and it's by-products, so can't use it. Probably lucky about that because even if I wasn't, I personally don't think that I'd soak the things that I was going to put againson my next Camino I't my skin in it. So I look for them on arrival fairly well, and cross my fingers. Interesting I've never done it in a Hotel anywhere in the world, because I assume they'd never be there, despite that I know they can just as easily be. So I guess it's a Camino mindset. They're there (somewhere) of course, but they are in top hotels in other countries too.
That's right. My first encounter was in a really nice Radison SAS hotel in Brussels. The second in a otherwise decent hotel in Poland and then many on the Camino. The last bites came in a nice hotel in Santiago. Thank God, I have not taken any home, but we have been pretty hysterical about it. Leaving the luggage or backpacks in the garage and stripping naked before entering the house, freezing and washing etc. Anyway, I must say that on my next Camino I'm still not planning to carry any extra poisons but I will be better prepared with the cortisone creme to treat the bites. And I'll do my best not to carry them to the next place.
 
Jim, the only time I've been bitten by a bedbug was from the seat on a night flight years ago - in a typical straight-line-pattern with several bites in a row, and they itched like crazy for about a week. On Camino, I roomed with someone who had been bitten badly at a previous albergue (and had a worse allergic reaction to the bites with large welts all over her back) who had to hike to the town with a clinic and get treatment for them. Then the new albergue took over her bag, gave her some temporary clothes, and hot-washed and dried everything she'd brought with her. Both night flights and albergues are perfect places for bedbugs: dark, tons of people exhaling CO2 in enclosed places.

I take everything outdoors, spray Permethrin on the outsides of my backpack, sleeping bag and hiking shoes, and as I'm ready to leave, I spray a bit on the back of my airplane clothes and shoes. Might sound like overkill, but I've not had any trouble with bedbugs on the Camino or on the night flights.
Good point. I'm worried about bringing them home. I am considering spraying everything with supermarket insect killer and sealing it in a garbage bag for a while. Would that be effective? I doubt if pemethrin is readily available in Spain.
 
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Good point. I'm worried about bringing them home. I am considering spraying everything with supermarket insect killer and sealing it in a garbage bag for a while. Would that be effective? I doubt if pemethrin is readily available in Spain.
Brian, I don't think supermarket insect killer works, but sealing everything in a garbage bag for a few days and leaving it out in the hot sun is said to work. I spray with Permethrin before I go and it's supposed to be good for 6 weeks, including washing during that time. I put my backpack in a garbage bag if I'm being picked up at the airport, and when home, I take the metal stays out of my backpack and put everything washable into a hot washing machine and then the dryer. I sure understand being concerned about bringing them home.....in fact, I'm starting to itch just thinking about it:0)).
 
We have a deep chest freezer at home and my whole pack with everything inside, including sleeping bag, goes into that for a month, with the temperature turned down to maximum cold.
 
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Keep your pack and gear off the floor and hang it somewhere if you can. Always check your mattress first and in bunks look in the gaps and joints. Only hit bugs once on the Sanabres - someone in another bunk was bitten- so midnight turnout to check that we were not carrying any hitchhikers. As you can see my wife Suzette was not in the best of moods at having to turn out and bug hunt.
 

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Good point. I'm worried about bringing them home. I am considering spraying everything with supermarket insect killer and sealing it in a garbage bag for a while. Would that be effective? I doubt if pemethrin is readily available in Spain.
Permetrina is readily available in Spain. Nevertheless the object of the exercise is to not acquire the buggers in the first place and to deal with them immediately should you do so. @SYates excellent, and much quoted, post tells you how to deal with any potential contamination.

Random spraying of non-specific insect 'killer' is unlikely to help. Bed-bugs aren't insect; they're arachnids - different metabolism, different ways of dieing.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
One chapter of it was about all I could stomach.
I suppose there could be some comic relief reading it while walking the Camno. :D
Ya, I read a bit of it and she is a bit too much. I will skim through it. It got mixed reviews, some saying good stuff but others saying she is full of herself. I will try it and probably leave it on the trail somewhere for some other poor soul to read.
 
Ya, I read a bit of it and she is a bit too much. I will skim through it. It got mixed reviews, some saying good stuff but others saying she is full of herself. I will try it and probably leave it on the trail somewhere for some other poor soul to read.
:mad:
 
Good point. I'm worried about bringing them home. I am considering spraying everything with supermarket insect killer and sealing it in a garbage bag for a while. Would that be effective? I doubt if pemethrin is readily available in Spain.
Heat is very effective. Anything that can go in a household dryer for 20 minutes (when dry) can be disinfected that way. Or any way to keep things at 55°C for that time. Alternatively, freezing at -17°C for several days will do it.
 
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Seemingly, the way to spot the difference is; insects 6 legs, arachnids (adult) 8.
I just wish my eyesight was good enough to spot that on something so small.
Sorry to tell you but bedbugs are not that small. Like a moderate sized ladybug crossed with a teenage woodlouse.
 
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Not to frighten anybody, but I have seen someone with the most horrrrrrrrrendous SPIDER BITE on the French Way. And we both saw what spider did it, it was a whopper. So please nobody come out with that 'clean creatures, kill the flies' guff. If you see a spider in the dorm, get shot of it.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Ah but my eyesight is terrible Crikey never realised they were almost ladybird size. Poogeyejr never told me that. I'm sweating up just thinking about that. Whst if they walk into your ears? Another trip to Google land is planned for first thing tomorrow.
Stop it, you'll give yourself nightmares. I was bitten on SLEEPER TRAINS in India. It's not that bad, just hot wash your stuff.
 
Ah but my eyesight is terrible.

Crikey never realised they were almost ladybird size. Poogeyejr never told me that. I'm sweating up just thinking about that. What if they walk into your ears? Another trip to Google land is planned for first thing tomorrow.
Too funny!
 
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To reduce the panic a wee bit, bed bugs don't hide on their food source (us) after feeding - they go back to their hiding places like crevices in walls/floorboards etc. Also, I haven't heard of bed bugs ever entering a human ear. Buen Camino sin chinches, SY
 
Arrrgghh, too late, you just mentioned them ...... ;) :rolleyes:
Only joking, there aren't (m)any, although as I mentioned above, I had an unpleasant encounter of the arachnid kind. This thing was literally 10cm across and it was on the CEILING above someone's bed. It bit her leg, which later went purple and black and shiny.
 
Only joking, there aren't (m)any, although as I mentioned above, I had an unpleasant encounter of the arachnid kind. This thing was literally 10cm across and it was on the CEILING above someone's bed. It bit her leg, which later went purple and black and shiny.
Well look at it this way. You could be walking in the Northern Territory of Australia where you would not have to worry about bed bugs but about crocodiles, 5 different speceis of venemous snakes, white tailed spiders (amongst others) whose bite necrotises your flesh ( happened to me once) , leaches, kangaroo ticks, midges, mosquitos and cane toads - just to mention a few annoyances. So enjoy the Camino it could always be a lot worse.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Well look at it this way. You could be walking in the Northern Territory of Australia where you would not have to worry about bed bugs but about crocodiles, 5 different speceis of venemous snakes, white tailed spiders (amongst others) whose bite necrotises your flesh ( happened to me once) , leaches, kangaroo ticks, midges, mosquitos and cane toads - just to mention a few annoyances. So enjoy the Camino it could always be a lot worse.
I don't mind any except the spiders. Spiders are just horrrrrrrrrendous.
 
ah @notion900 then you would love Sydney. The wet weather has brought out the funnel-web spiders. Why I wear gardening gloves when weeding. Or taking the lid off the worm farm. I love the St Andrews cross spiders we get in our garden (pretty, and a beautiful web) and huntsmen are huge but friendly and I've happily left one in my bedroom for a week, but funnel webs - nooooo.

Spiders on the camino - no worries.
 
ah @notion900 then you would love Sydney. The wet weather has brought out the funnel-web spiders. Why I wear gardening gloves when weeding. Or taking the lid off the worm farm. I love the St Andrews cross spiders we get in our garden (pretty, and a beautiful web) and huntsmen are huge but friendly and I've happily left one in my bedroom for a week, but funnel webs - nooooo.
Just no. I work in conservation and I still can't abide them.
 
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i have been 8 times on de camino a total of 30+ weeks on the camino ,
been in the months of may,june,july,august,september and october,
never seen a bedbug or got bitten by one.
but that doesn't mean there are no bedbugs .
if you encounter bedbugs say something
 
My friend is an exterminator and he said that Permathin and DDT no longer work due to over exposure unless you are able to spray it right on them. Besides as noted above, it's not good for humans or animals. He stated that diotomaceous earth (DE) a white powder works best. Can be used on bedding and on self not harmful to humans or animals. The other option as deterrent but not killer, are essential oils such as tea tree, lavender oil, peppermint oil etc. These strong scents would most likely turn bugs from you to non treated victims close by...Just from experience, critters seem to be more prevalent in summer but I think they are always around, maybe just more active. I've traveled a lot and have always used Burt Bees peppermint cream after showering. This has worked for me when others have gotten feasted upon...It has a calming effect so maybe I just sleep better

I also have used Burt Bees and it has helped me get a better sleep. I have also found out thanks to http://ohealthyeah.com/get-rid-bed-bugs-regain-comfort/ that the bugs can't survive on temperatures higher than 113F, so whenever I come back from traveling, I put my clothes and bed sheets in my dryer on a high temperature and let them "cook" for about 30 mins so every bug dies. So far it has worked great and I haven't noticed any bite marks or itching that could be caused by a bedbug.
 
I also have used Burt Bees and it has helped me get a better sleep. I have also found out thanks to http://ohealthyeah.com/get-rid-bed-bugs-regain-comfort/ that the bugs can't survive on temperatures higher than 113F, so whenever I come back from traveling, I put my clothes and bed sheets in my dryer on a high temperature and let them "cook" for about 30 mins so every bug dies. So far it has worked great and I haven't noticed any bite marks or itching that could be caused by a bedbug.
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
Been reading about bed bugs...Any preemptive advice...Or aftercare in case advice doesn't work?
I should have replied earlier this year. I had a superb, blister and bed bug free Camino... stayed in municipal and private albergues. Even one night on judo mats in a sports hall...not a trace of bed bugs. But I did impregnate my pack and bedding...who knows. I walked in April May. Back in June for 10 days with my daughter... hopefully for me to complete again in September or October....
 
I've read countless articles how to remove bedbugs and prevent them from reappearing. What worked for me the best is something that I read on http://ohealthyeah.com/get-rid-bed-bugs-regain-comfort/ .
It said that if they keep on reappearing, there might be a crack in a wooden part (which might be the case at your workplace) and to make sure you seal it right so they can't come in again.
Another thing that might cause them to appear at your work is the chairs you use. If the chairs have a sponge on them, bedbugs can use this as their home and spread out there. According to the article, you can try and cover the chair with a plastic bag for a period of time, so the bedbugs don't have any access to food and they will slowly die out. I think it will be the perfect solution to the bedbugs on your workstation so you don't have to use sprays and all.
 

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