Austinpaterson
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Bed bugs do not spread disease and while they are annoying and can be uncomfortable you don't need to fear them. Yes there are and will be bed bugs on the Camino. They are spread from place to place by people in packs and bedding. While they are not everywhere and in every bed, they are relatively common. If you find yourself bitten. Please inform the hospitalera and be sure to treat your clothes, pack and bedding before taking them to your next location.I read some comments about bed bugs on Camino Frances which scared me.
I am planning to do it in May this year and I would like to know if bed bugs are a serious problem in albergues and hostels.
Appreciate any advise/information
Thanks … what do you treat your gear with?Bed bugs do not spread disease and while they are annoying and can be uncomfortable you don't need to fear them. Yes there are and will be bed bugs on the Camino. They are spread from place to place by people in packs and bedding. While they are not everywhere and in every bed, they are relatively common. If you find yourself bitten. Please inform the hospitalera and be sure to treat your clothes, pack and bedding before taking them to your next location.
ThanksSome people use permethrin, but it takes a long time to kill a bedbug with that stuff. They might die later in your pack after having already bitten you. I don't treat my gear at all. In the albergue we use steam guns when we clean as heat does kill the insects and is not toxic to humans. If you find yourself bitten, put your clothes and bedding in a hot dryer and put your non-clothing items in a black trash bag in the sun.
Many thanks … that’s very reassuring-One of the few good things about the pandemic is that many of the albergues whom didn´t opened theirs doors collaterally killed the bedbugs, if they had any. Others whom keep opened, due the anti covid measures deeply deinfected and fumigated theisr facilities more frequently.
In addition of that, the measures the pilgrims have taken did their work to not spreading those lovely pets.
I´d asked about this topic to many hospi friends of mine, and the answer have been the same:
Bad times for the bedbugs.
Buen camino to you all, honest people.
Bed bugs do not spread disease and while they are annoying and can be uncomfortable you don't need to fear them.
Thanks … some great adviceWell, bed bugs can be more than annoying, and uncomfortable. It depends upon your bodies reaction to them! I take an antihistamine while on my caminos to help prepare my my system for the reaction I will get when I get bitten. I have walked 9 times and been bitten on 7 of those occasions... on several casinos in multiple locations and on my first camino 40+ times in one location! I am a magnate. I get severe bites. So besides an oral antihistamine, I treat the bites with a topical application, (Benadryl roll on) which I use a few times a day.
The worst part is when I wake up in my room at 1-3am and realize I already have multiple bites? Now I make sure, I prepay my private room. So I can leave early if necessary. All of my belongings are in plastic, so I am not worried about my belongings. I have left a room at 3am and started walking rather than sitting up and waiting for the next attack, that would surely have (and has) happened. If I am sending a bag ahead, I also but that bag in a huge, heavy duty trash bag until we are ready to leave and then deet the outside of the bag, each morning before we depart, to prevent any bugs from hitching a ride in transport.
Yes, indeed for some of us, bed bugs can be a lot more than uncomfortable and annoying, if you bring them home with you, they can be a nightmare and quite expensive.
Permethrin is not a deterrent or repellent, but after a couple of hours of exposure it will kill bedbugs.Some people use permethrin, but it takes a long time to kill a bedbug with that stuff. They might die later in your pack after having already bitten you
I am also very susceptible to mosquitos, and react badly to their bites. But I have been bitten by bedbugs with almost no reaction. If the bites had been somewhere that I couldn't see them I may never have known.I’ve been on the Camino around 8 times. I’ve never been bitten once. I am very, very susceptible to mosquitoes and sand flies (not that these show up on the Camino) but this just indicates something. Bed bugs are around, obviously, but don’t let them put you off!
I’ve been on the Camino around 8 times. I’ve never been bitten once. I am very, very susceptible to mosquitoes and sand flies (not that these show up on the Camino) but this just indicates something. Bed bugs are around, obviously, but don’t let them put you off!
Steam guns, what a great idea! I'd never heard of that. Where do you buy a steam gun, out of curiosity, Amazon? Thanks J Willhaus!Some people use permethrin, but it takes a long time to kill a bedbug with that stuff. They might die later in your pack after having already bitten you. I don't treat my gear at all. In the albergue we use steam guns when we clean as heat does kill the insects and is not toxic to humans. If you find yourself bitten, put your clothes and bedding in a hot dryer and put your non-clothing items in a black trash bag in the sun.
Nice music for the bedbugs funeral !!!Permethrin is not a deterrent or repellent, but after a couple of hours of exposure it will kill bedbugs.
That's why I treat my sleeping gear, the inside of my backpack, and all of my cloth stuff sacks.
If a bedbug gets inside my pack I don't want it coming out alive. I don't want to be the pilgrim unwittingly spreading bedbugs from Albergue to albergue.
Here's a video showing how bedbugs die when in contact with permethrin.
Yes, I totally agree. Please tell us when you arrive of your dilemma and I will calmly help you. It is not your fault and we do our best to manage things discreetly and matter of factly. It is part of the hospitalero training with HosVol to learn how to identify and deal with bedbugs.One important thing to remember: If you discover that you've been bitten, there's a chance that you're carrying multiple bedbugs on your person, your gear, (and if you're traveling with someone close) your companion. Essentially, you've become a carrier. It's important that you think about taking care not only of yourself but other peregrinos. When you arrive at your next destination, you can tell the hospitalero at check-in that you think you've been exposed, and that you probably have bedbugs. I've never experienced a pilgrim being turned away because of this. In fact in the past, hospitaleros would generally go out of their way to help, by offering to clean your gear while you take a shower, supplying you with towels and some temporary clothing - and when my wife and I had our bedbug experience, the hospitaleros supplied us with some clean things which were "cast-offs" left by other peregrinos (we looked a little like John Travolta and Samuel Jackson in that memorable wash-up scene from Pulp Fiction) while we waited for our own clothes to wash and dry).
One reason hospitaleros are so eager to help is that bedbugs on a single person can actually lead to an entire albergue being infested and consequently closed until it can be completely cleaned. In the peak of the 2019 autumn season, at one of the major end points on the Frances, the local municipal albergue (with upwards of 90 beds - of a total of around 225 albergue beds in the town) was shut down with a bedbug infestation for a couple of weeks, which consequently made it near impossible to get a bed in that town for that entire time.
But the point is - you'll find on the one hand there's a lot of personal shame attached to getting bedbugs, and there's an inclination to keep it a secret; and on the other hand, a degree of indifference about what some people will consider only a nuisance. You have to make your own decision, of course, but if you do keep it secret, it's more than likely that you will spread the bug wherever you go. And if ignored, these little pests could increase and multiply at a biblical pace.
But that's the thing about the Camino. Almost every other person on the Way, particularly our hosts, will want to help you in any manner that they can, even if it's just to remind you that it's all going to be okay.
Much good information, and many good suggestions here in these posts! At least keep your pack closed away from your bed. Don’t spread the contents of your pack on your, or any other bed!I read some comments about bed bugs on Camino Frances which scared me.
I am planning to do it in May this year and I would like to know if bed bugs are a serious problem in albergues and hostels.
Appreciate any advise/information
@Austinpaterson could you let us know where you read those comments?I read some comments about bed bugs on Camino Frances which scared me.
Nope, not true, not even a tiddly bit. For a start those " Pilgrims of old" didn't go to Fisterra they went to Santiago and then they went home.Lighten up dude … That is what pilgrims of old did! We could probably find a more acceptable and modern way to “burn” our clothes today!
Bed bugs can be found in the cheapest of albergues to the most expensive of hotels. They can happen in the dirtiest of places as well as the cleanest of places. That said - they usually aren't a very big problem. Most of the time you won't encounter them. Last summer I am not aware of anyone I walked with encountering them - but then again - crowds were way lower than normal. Earlier in the season, you probably have a better chance of avoiding them than at the end of the season.I read some comments about bed bugs on Camino Frances which scared me.
I am planning to do it in May this year and I would like to know if bed bugs are a serious problem in albergues and hostels.
Appreciate any advise/information
Fine to recycle your soap although many people are sensitive to smells and soap won't keep a hungry bed bug away. There used to be a really good Dave Whitson podcast with an interview of a bed bug entomogist researcher. If I can find it I will post the link.
Yes, I concur. I can honestly say on over 180 days and nights on the Camino I cannot recall detecting the smells emitting from any fellow pilgrim's backpack or gear, and honestly it is not something I have ever even thought about lol. I could care less if there was a whiff of lavender, peppermint or menthol about and it would not bother me. That is kind of like candies and cough drops.Which is exactly why I was careful to say that there is no scientific evidence that this works and that I am aware that some people are sensitive to smells. (I guarantee that the smell does not extend beyond the confines of my bag, so as long as people keep their nose out of it I think they'll be OK.)
It sounds similar to the steamer I might use to get wrinkles out of clothes (I’m a sewist)*.Or the steam cleaner I (sometimes) use to clean my floors with (Looks kind of like this. The ones we have used are already at the albergues. You fill them up with water and then let them heat up and use the "gun" attachment to shoot the steam into cracks and crevices in walls, floorboards, bed frames, etc. We clean and disinfect first and look for bedbug signs and then steam.Portable Steam Cleaner
Effortlessly clean and sanitize any surface with our Portable Steam Cleaner. Ideal for auto interiors, carpets, and engines.www.griotsgarage.com
Oh how I relate to this post.Bedbugs do exist, and they are not rare on the Caminos. How much of a problem they are to you depends on your reaction to them.
Some people do not react to bites at all. Those are the people that will claim that the bed bug problem ist exagerrated and that they are very rare.
Some people have mild reactions (like small flea bites / mosquito bites). For those people they are annoying but no big problem. If you've been bitten, put all (!) your gear into a dryer for at least 30min on hot temperature, or wash at least at 60°C and dry then, to make sure you don't carry them somewhere else. They die at high temperature.
Some people have severe allergic reactions. In that case, you might need medical attention if bitten. If that's the case, you certainly want to make sure not to get bitten. Check beds and mattresses thouroughly. Use a sleeping bag or liner and try to cover yourself at night (they don't bitte through fabric). Put your "night gear" (sleeping bag/liner and pyjamas) in a waterproof dry bag seperate from all your other stuff. So if you get them into your sleeping gear they don't spread into the rest of your backpack. Also put your whole sleeping bag into a large garbage bag or dry bag at night, and far away from the beds, so that they don't crawl in and travel with you to the next place. Put your backpack and the drybag with your night stuff into the hot sun whenever possible as precaution.
I do have bad reactions to them. So I know what to look for, how to avoid them and how to deal with them... and still got bitten almost every time I walked.
They are stuff made from nightmares for me. Took me four years to unpack my things from the 2017 Camino (was packed airtight since then). They die after 1-2 years without a meal. I also put everything I carried in 2019 into a garbage can in Santiago and bought new clothes for travelling home. That's how paranoid I've become.
Bedbug ptsdBut I still walk. It's all worth it.
Hopefully you're one of those people who don't notice them. Good luck and a bedbug free Camino!
Yes, the ones we have use are larger than the example one I posted and hold more water. I had a mopping steamer at home for a while and it is a similar concept. These are not as "gentle" as the ones you might use on clothes and give a big gust of steam when you pull the trigger.It sounds similar to the steamer I might use to get wrinkles out of clothes (I’m a sewist)*.Or the steam cleaner I (sometimes) use to clean my floors with ()
Am I on the right track?
*fun fact, spellcheck changed my word “sewist” to “sexist”. Glad I caught it in time.
Wait... they die after 1-2 years?!?!?Took me four years to unpack my things from the 2017 Camino (was packed airtight since then). They die after 1-2 years without a meal.
Yup! Tenacious little critters.Wait... they die after 1-2 years?!?!?
Yes, and I believe after a few months without nourishment they actually come together in packs of sorts, groups of up to a hundred I believe has been observed. They then search for a host en masse. Swarming relentlessly on the hapless victim.Wait... they die after 1-2 years?!?!?
This is a common enough concern, but the evidence that I have seen indicates it is largely misplaced. What I found was:And I don’t know about you, but I see no wisdom in exposing yourself nightly to that.
Looks kind of like this. The ones we have used are already at the albergues. You fill them up with water and then let them heat up and use the "gun" attachment to shoot the steam into cracks and crevices in walls, floorboards, bed frames, etc. We clean and disinfect first and look for bedbug signs and then steamPortable Steam Cleaner
Effortlessly clean and sanitize any surface with our Portable Steam Cleaner. Ideal for auto interiors, carpets, and engines.www.griotsgarage.com
When I found bedbugs in an albergue I left a note telling them which room they had been found in.When I leave in the middle of the night, after a bed bug attack, I don’t tell anyone, as rarely, there is someone on duty.
I also know of them coming from pipes in the ceiling. They are not just "bed" bugs any more.Many of the bed bugs have adapted. They come from the ceiling beams and cracks , not only from the floors and beds. I have watched, in several locations, them come out of various cracks in the ceiling beams….crawling up and down the walls. Without reaching those ceiling cracks you won’t get rid of them.
When I leave in the middle of the night, after a bed bug attack, I don’t tell anyone, as rarely, there is someone on duty. However, I leave the squished bugs, wherever they are, in place on the walls, ceilings and floors so the cleaners can’t miss that they have an infestation.
I have had bed bug problems but only at night. What I did to kill the little buggers is to soak my sheets with a 20ml per litre of Peremethin which you can buy from any gardening store.I read some comments about bed bugs on Camino Frances which scared me.
I am planning to do it in May this year and I would like to know if bed bugs are a serious problem in albergues and hostels.
Appreciate any advise/information
I bet the release of gas felt even better!Yes, I concur. I can honestly say on over 180 days and nights on the Camino I cannot recall detecting the smells emitting from any fellow pilgrim's backpack or gear, and honestly it is not something I have ever even thought about lol. I could care less if there was a whiff of lavender, peppermint or menthol about and it would not bother me. That is kind of like candies and cough drops.
Now odors emitting from pilgrims with poor hygiene habits? Encountered that a few times. For God's sake peregrino, shower dammit lol.
I will even admit that on a couple of occasions very late at night/early morning I had forgotten where I was for a brief moment and let out a very loud flatulence while on the bunk, and was in self horror and embarrassment immediately after. Motionless in the dark hoping nobody knew it was me. My apologies to any fellow pilgrims that were in the room. Wow, that confession felt good.
Just a thought, but if on the way home you check your bag on long haul aircraft, does the hold get cold enough to kill the beasties?
For you, maybe 1/4 inch welts. But I have seen, many times, HUGE welts up to the size of a half-dollar. It can be quite traumatic for some. You're lucky!I have encountered bed bugs three times: Via Francigena (Italy), Camino del Norte, and a motel in the USA. Not pleasant experiences. Check the mattress and vicinity for signs. Plastic covered mattresses in most hostels seem to minimize the likelihood. Do not leave anything on the floor otherwise they can invade it, and you will carry them with you. Hang your pack, or put it in a large plastic bag and secure the end. If you are feasted on by bedbugs, you might not realize it until later the next day. Signs are unmistakable: 1/4 inch welts lined up on neck, face, back, legs, ears, chest. Any items they might have gotten into need to go in a dryer at the highest heat for 30 minutes. Washing will not kill them. Encounters are a drag, but not the end of the world. I’m walking in Spain again beginning next week. Enjoy your walk. : )
I lifted a painting on the wall at a convent on the Northern Route once, to look behind it, and they scurried out! They like any dark place, I guess. I also always look in the holes where the hardware connects wooden bunkbeds and have often found them there.I also know of them coming from pipes in the ceiling. They are not just "bed" bugs any more.
I am this way with Mosquito bites. Just a couple bites I will be fine - but if I am attacked my whole body gets huge horrible welts. Thankfully haven't had a bed bug bite...For you, maybe 1/4 inch welts. But I have seen, many times, HUGE welts up to the size of a half-dollar. It can be quite traumatic for some. You're lucky!
I treat my boots, my pack and my sleep sack. Some do not like when others treat, but I like knowing I am not carrying bed bugs around. I treat the day before I go, and bring a black trash bag in the baseboard my backpack in case I have to use the hot sun treatment. Never have had to after 4 caminosThanks … what do you treat your gear with?
Some luck!For you, maybe 1/4 inch welts. But I have seen, many times, HUGE welts up to the size of a half-dollar. It can be quite traumatic for some. You're lucky!
4 down, 6 gazillion to go!Permethrin is not a deterrent or repellent, but after a couple of hours of exposure it will kill bedbugs.
That's why I treat my sleeping gear, the inside of my backpack, and all of my cloth stuff sacks.
If a bedbug gets inside my pack I don't want it coming out alive. I don't want to be the pilgrim unwittingly spreading bedbugs from Albergue to albergue.
Here's a video showing how bedbugs die when in contact with permethrin.
The music was hilarious!4 down, 6 gazillion to go!
For you, maybe 1/4 inch welts. But I have seen, many times, HUGE welts up to the size of a half-dollar. It can be quite traumatic for some. You're lucky!
They are NOT a problem but could be. No matter where you travel, bed bugs are a reality. Having said that, in my decades of extensive travel and having done twice the Camino Frances, I have never had bed bugs. Though it is possible and I have heard stories and did meet a couple who had encountered bed bugs in an albergue.I read some comments about bed bugs on Camino Frances which scared me.
I am planning to do it in May this year and I would like to know if bed bugs are a serious problem in albergues and hostels.
Appreciate any advise/information
That's what we always did in Villamayor de Monjardín. But in the fifteen-plus months ((2015-2019) I was a hospitalero there, we only had to do it twice. (And once had to destroy a mattress when we found them in a private room!) Once a Korean who had neither English nor Spanish got that treatment and when we looked in the dryer lint filter, we saw fleas instead of bedbugs.…, hospitaleros would generally go out of their way to help, by offering to clean your gear while you take a shower, supplying you with towels and some temporary clothing …
I just finished my 4th Camino and the ONLY time I encountered bedbugs and was bitten was last Oct 2021 on the Camino Portuguese Central in a nice HOTEL (Vila Nova de Barquinha) and I stayed at least 75% of the rest of the time in hostels (not hotels).I read some comments about bed bugs on Camino Frances which scared me.
I am planning to do it in May this year and I would like to know if bed bugs are a serious problem in albergues and hostels.
Appreciate any advise/information
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