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Bedbug alert in los arcos

pragzz

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances: Sep-October 2018
I recently discovered bedbugs in my sleeping bag and had to go thru the exhaustive process of stripping, cleaning and sanitizing everything I owned, losing a couple of days in the process. I am fairly certain (99%) that I picked up the bedbugs in Los Arcos in Casa Alberdi, because I woke up several times in the night with a line of bites on my arm and finger (I have had bedbug attacks before so I am familiar with them) when I stayed there. I also packed and left early because it was hard to relax after the bites.

While the place had decent facilities and the toilets were clean, the beds were filthy and the rooms were extremely overcrowded, but I had no other choice for accommodation that night.

Since I left at an unearthly hour (before anyone else woke up) I couldn’t do a thorough check of my bed for proof. Outside of the line of bites, I couldn’t find any bugs in my sleeping bag at first glance, and assumed that I had magically made it out of there without much damage. But the next night cleared that up very quickly when I got bit on a different arm throughout the night while in my sleeping bag and had bloodstains to show for it this time. I immediately informed the albergue I was in (who took immediate measures), along with the people who slept around me, and immediately went into cleanup/sanitation mode.

If you are in a similar position, here is what I recommend you do:

1. Inform the albergue(s) you have encountered them in (I informed the peregrino office as well since I had already left the albergue). Bedbugs are notoriously stealthy, so it helps to have proof. Try to catch a critter if you can, and show them the bug along with the bites. Bloodstains on the sheets can also serve as a proof of the critter bites.

2. Inform your bunk mates and neighbors, so they can decide what to do.

3. Take your stuff to a good laundry machine as soon as possible and wash everything on the highest heat possible, then dry them at the highest heat possible too. This can mean ruining some of your clothes and things, but it is what it is. If you want to be doubly sure, then put everything out under direct sunlight. If you aren’t sure about washing your shoes and rucksack, clean them out with alcohol and stick them out directly in the sun. Bedbugs can’t stand the heat, (and they don’t like lavender). Then spray everything down with permethrin, and keep them out to dry. I have also sprayed my bag with lavender essential oil. The whole process took 48 hours, but I am ready to tackle the Camino again.

On this note, I would really like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to “Hostel Punto B” in Belorado, for taking me in and helping me clean and sanitize all my stuff at this time. They became my family thru this crisis...gave me clothes, food, a warm bed and so much encouragement to continue on. God bless you Joaquin, Blanca, Sylvia and Marialuz!
 
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Thank you for the information. I searched the name of this albergue, and it consistently is noted as being "dirty" and infested with bedbugs. We will be bringing a large plastic bag to cover our back pack to protect against infestation.
 
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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.
I stayed there once (2015) and really did not like it for a few reasons, one of which was I thought it was dirty.

Just my opinion of course.

Glad you got sorted pragzz!

Davey
 
I understand. It's the last albergue in town. Will find an earlier one in town. The German one just before the plaza is very nice..

Do you mean albergue La Fuente? It is actually Austrian. Yeah, I recommend this place, very friendly too.

Davey
 
I recently discovered bedbugs in my sleeping bag and had to go thru the exhaustive process of stripping, cleaning and sanitizing everything I owned, losing a couple of days in the process. I am fairly certain (99%) that I picked up the bedbugs in Los Arcos in Casa Alberdi, because I woke up several times in the night with a line of bites on my arm and finger (I have had bedbug attacks before so I am familiar with them) when I stayed there. I also packed and left early because it was hard to relax after the bites.

While the place had decent facilities and the toilets were clean, the beds were filthy and the rooms were extremely overcrowded, but I had no other choice for accommodation that night.

Since I left at an unearthly hour (before anyone else woke up) I couldn’t do a thorough check of my bed for proof. Outside of the line of bites, I couldn’t find any bugs in my sleeping bag at first glance, and assumed that I had magically made it out of there without much damage. But the next night cleared that up very quickly when I got bit on a different arm throughout the night while in my sleeping bag and had bloodstains to show for it this time. I immediately informed the albergue I was in (who took immediate measures), along with the people who slept around me, and immediately went into cleanup/sanitation mode.

If you are in a similar position, here is what I recommend you do:

1. Inform the albergue(s) you have encountered them in (I informed the peregrino office as well since I had already left the albergue). Bedbugs are notoriously stealthy, so it helps to have proof. Try to catch a critter if you can, and show them the bug along with the bites. Bloodstains on the sheets can also serve as a proof of the critter bites.

2. Inform your bunk mates and neighbors, so they can decide what to do.

3. Take your stuff to a good laundry machine as soon as possible and wash everything on the highest heat possible, then dry them at the highest heat possible too. This can mean ruining some of your clothes and things, but it is what it is. If you want to be doubly sure, then put everything out under direct sunlight. If you aren’t sure about washing your shoes and rucksack, clean them out with alcohol and stick them out directly in the sun. Bedbugs can’t stand the heat, (and they don’t like lavender). Then spray everything down with permethrin, and keep them out to dry. I have also sprayed my bag with lavender essential oil. The whole process took 48 hours, but I am ready to tackle the Camino again.

On this note, I would really like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to “Hostel Punto B” in Belorado, for taking me in and helping me clean and sanitize all my stuff at this time. They became my family thru this crisis...gave me clothes, food, a warm bed and so much encouragement to continue on. God bless you Joaquin, Blanca, Sylvia and Marialuz!
I spray with permethrin before I start the Camino. I encountered bed bugs in Sarria at an albergue attached to a restaurant on the main street as you head out. I informed them right away and they tried to say it was normal bugs until we went to the room. I have never seen such fat bed bugs. I was lucky because I had sprayed they didn't get in my clothes or backpack. Oh, they also took me to another albergue they owned on another street. permethrin is vital on the Camino.
 
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Hola @nathanael . Sorry to hear of your problems. Really great that the good people in Belorado welcomed you. Its that type of hospitalero that we pilgrims really love.
I stayed in the "problem albergue" back in May 2017. Yes it was crowded but I do not recall it as being particularly "dirty". I had previously stayed at la Fuente back in Sep 2015.
Just as a matter of interest - how many days after Los Arcos did you stop to do your major cleaning? My question is based on it being 4 Brierley stages from Los Arcos to Belorado.
My precausions before leaving home was to thoroughly spray my backpack / sleeping bag and liner (even though its silk) and as far as I know it worked. Although it did get another cleaning when my "daughter" found those bed bugs marks as we approached Astorga. The good people here where really helpful.
Thanks for a good, honest report.
 
Hola @nathanael . Sorry to hear of your problems. Really great that the good people in Belorado welcomed you. Its that type of hospitalero that we pilgrims really love.
I stayed in the "problem albergue" back in May 2017. Yes it was crowded but I do not recall it as being particularly "dirty". I had previously stayed at la Fuente back in Sep 2015.
Just as a matter of interest - how many days after Los Arcos did you stop to do your major cleaning? My question is based on it being 4 Brierley stages from Los Arcos to Belorado.
My precausions before leaving home was to thoroughly spray my backpack / sleeping bag and liner (even though its silk) and as far as I know it worked. Although it did get another cleaning when my "daughter" found those bed bugs marks as we approached Astorga. The good people here where really helpful.
Thanks for a good, honest report.
I just remembered I also came across a dead bed bug on my fitted sheet I brought from home which was sprayed with permethrin. It was at the Albergue in Astorga called Javier. nice Albergue wooden floors but nice patio and bathrooms. Nevertheless, the bed bugs did not affect me in either places due to my precaution with spraying.
 
As I understand it, permethrin won't repel or kill bedbugs instantly on contact, but will with prolonged contact. I sprayed my backpack, sleeping gear, and cloth zipper and stuff sacks. I figured it a bedbug got in my stuff it wouldn't last long. And remember that you shouldn't touch anything with permethrin on it until it's dry. If it's hot enough, put everything non machine washable into a black plastic trash bag, seal it closed and put it in the sun for the afternoon.
Your clothes might fare better if you put dry clothing into a hot dryer - sometimes it's when they go from wet to dry in a hot wash/dryer that they can shrink or have other issues. The hot wash isn't really what kills the bedbugs - it's the hot dryer for at least half and hour that does them in.
 
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.
Curious if you pre-treated with permethrin or only after the attack as in #3.
I treated with an all-insect spray I found in France, and then stuck everything out under the hot sun to dry/disinfect for 48 hours (this was BEFORE the Camino). I couldn’t understand the ingredients, but it did show bedbugs as being one of the things that was targeted. Permethrin is hard to find in Europe outside of hardware and agriculture stores. So I used that.
 
Is this the albergue run by Germans?
No, by a Spanish Lady named Concxita and her husband. Nobody I met there seemed comfortable there. Almost everyone wanted to leave because it was so dirty...but like me, we all had no choice. The other Albergues for two villages down were all booked up.
 
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Hola @nathanael . Sorry to hear of your problems. Really great that the good people in Belorado welcomed you. Its that type of hospitalero that we pilgrims really love.
I stayed in the "problem albergue" back in May 2017. Yes it was crowded but I do not recall it as being particularly "dirty". I had previously stayed at la Fuente back in Sep 2015.
Just as a matter of interest - how many days after Los Arcos did you stop to do your major cleaning? My question is based on it being 4 Brierley stages from Los Arcos to Belorado.
My precausions before leaving home was to thoroughly spray my backpack / sleeping bag and liner (even though its silk) and as far as I know it worked. Although it did get another cleaning when my "daughter" found those bed bugs marks as we approached Astorga. The good people here where really helpful.
Thanks for a good, honest report.

How many days after Los Arcos? I think three. But I had a waterproof pack and didn’t need to go into my pack much for the next two nights because the Albergues in the following stages provided linens and towels, and I was living off the clothes and toiletries at the very top of my pack. On the third night, I finally pulled out my bag and got bitten big time. That albergue didn’t have a washing machine or dryer, so I had to stop in belorado (next major town), and hunker down at Punto B while I got everything sorted out.

Someone was absolutely right about the dryer. Either the sun and/or a couple of rounds in the dryer on high should do the trick...

I am in Burgos now and the staff here recommended using a local supermarket product to spray everything if you find yourself without permethrin. It is called “biokill” and is a Korean product that is safe for humans, but lethal to most bugs. It’s what they use on the beds
 

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Pragzz - you so did all the right things. Especially the honesty and openness to the hospitaleros.

Thank you for that! It’s always good to know that you are on the right track, even though at times it can feel counterintuitive.
 
I am in Burgos now and the staff here recommended using a local supermarket product to spray everything if you find yourself without permethrin. It is called “biokill” and is a Korean product that is safe for humans, but lethal to most bugs. It’s what they use on the beds
It's pretty standard product over here. Mine says it's made in Slovenia under Swiss licence but that's not important. You can buy mild of hard core version. The later is pretty nasty. I had two wasp nests in cardboard boxes on my balcony and after spraying them with Biokill the "waspacide" was finished in matter of minutes. But OTOH I sprayed my Camino gear on the outside (not where your skin would be in touch with sprayed surface) like sleeping bag, boots and backpack but still got bitten by bedbugs.
 
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Another tip for bed bug prevention, as advised by two American pilgrims I met at Cardenuela Riopico in July, is to use Space bags in the travel size and spray both the outside and the inside of the bags with DeBugger spray prior to going on the Camino ... it's one more measure to take to make it hard for the horrid little critters making it hard for you! Thanks go to Jim and Lesley for this tip.
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
 
Another tip for bed bug prevention, as advised by two American pilgrims I met at Cardenuela Riopico in July, is to use Space bags in the travel size and spray both the outside and the inside of the bags with DeBugger spray prior to going on the Camino ... it's one more measure to take to make it hard for the horrid little critters making it hard for you! Thanks go to Jim and Lesley for this tip.
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
Aren't Space Bags made of plastic? They wouldn't be able to absorb the spray.
 
Hi trecile - not sure if the plastic was able to absorb the spray - actually, it probably wouldn't - I hadn't considered that, however, the bags were working well for Jim and Lesley. No little critters could certainly penetrate those bags and the fact that they compressed flat was great.
Cheers from Oz -
Jenny
 
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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