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As one bed bug said to the other..”the Camino provides”
Pretty much what I was going to say. Many people have bad reactions to sprays, fragrances and perfumes. Don't make them live in the cloud of these.I don't want other pilgrims spraying noxious aerosol sprays in the dorms!
Please do this at home before you start the Camino.Go to a farmácia and ask for a spray aginst bedbugs, or go to any supermecado and you will find cheaper choices, look for anti hormigas spray, most of them contain some amount of permethrin. One called BIO or BIOS is the best. Bring with you something to cover your nose and mouth and hands when you use the spray. spray your things outside
I'm not sure what you mean. Yes, you might have a bug or two in your pack or clothes, but equally likely you will not. In any case, the best prevention is containment and isolation. Keep your backpack in an airtight bag at night. In the morning put all of your night clothes, and items that were exposed, into another airtight bag inside your backpack. If you (or your companions) get itchy spots during the day, go straight to a laundromat to treat your things (see below).once you have the bedbug, you are carrying them with you
Once you have the bug, how do you get rid of it?
Yes, it certainly would. But there appears to be no simple way. It is very easy to search on this forum or Google for information. However, many of the recommendations are not based on facts.Any successful method would help out many.
I don't want other pilgrims spraying noxious aerosol sprays in the dorms!
If you suspect you have picked up bedbugs get rid of them! It's not that difficult, though it takes some time.
Put everything that you can in a HOT dryer for at least a half an hour. Everything else goes into a plastic trash bag and on a hot day set it in the sun for several hours. If it's not hot spray the bug killer inside the bag, seal it up, and let it sit for several hours.
Surely the bigger supermercados have it, or perhaps the Spanish equivalent of a hardware store, and there's always the good old Bazaar Chino's. They seem to sell everything.I tried to find some spray during two of my five Caminos and never could find a source. Where do you suggest I get some for my upcoming Camino?
If it's not hot spray the bug killer inside the bag, seal it up, and let it sit for several hours.
This is probability the easiest method to use next to using hot clothes dryer, on Camino but not sure how effect this method would be as the spray chemical kills on contact. Permithrin is used to scabies and lice on human so skin contact would be OK, I think.
When dry, yes. When wet, no.Permithrin is used to scabies and lice on human so skin contact would be OK, I think.
How do you take this?I take very efficient for allergies nigella sativa oil. No more Allegra for me.
I take very efficient for allergies nigella sativa oil. No more Allegra for me.
If the get in your gear (sleeping bag, stuff sack, pack, the will stay with you and every albergue you visit until you deal with them. I put EVERYTHING in a laundromat dryer at high heat for 45 minutes. Don’t worry about what the tags say (“Low heat only”). My stuff came out okay and bug free. Hot wash will NOT kill them.While walking the Camino, I have encountered multiple people that were getting bitten by bedbugs. They usually have new bites in the morning, every morning, usually around exposed skin areas such as wrists, neck. I was lucky to walk away with getting few bites one night only but ones carrying bugs, made the walk/trip very miserable.
It seems that once you have the bedbug, you are carrying them with you somewhere in your gear and that is the problem. Once you have the bug, how do you get rid of it? Towards to the end of my walk, I was quite worried that I will have the bug. Or is there any ways that you can prevent from having the bug prior to the trip? Any successful method would help out many.
But...each day we spritzed our beds with lavender spray, which is also know to deter the little bugs. Not one bite the entire camino.
Yikes!1. Lavender does not work against anything.
2. When I get done with you after you sprayed lavender in the albergue, you will wish you had bedbugs instead.
Yikes!
You must dislike the smell of lavender more than I do.
From my experience, many Albergues were too dark to inspect for the small critters. And what 'evidence' would I be looking for? Do you also check the mattress/bed above yours if a lower bed is assigned to you?Not sure I would appreciate that strong smell in the albergue. We did a thorough inspection of the mattresses each day when we checked in. Only a couple times did we see 'evidence' of bed bugs, checked out and went down the street to another place. But...each day we spritzed our beds with lavender spray, which is also know to deter the little bugs. Not one bite the entire camino.
This is good information. I would think this applies to all wool clothing, including cashmere.When it comes to merino items of clothing, hot washing will destroy them. Instead, find a tumble drier that goes really hot and put your merino items in it, dry, and tumble at max heat for 45 mins. Being dry, things do not shrink. But be careful not to put your sweaty walking socks in if they are still damp, as they will shrink, as my daughter found out!!!
Use a torch, and look for droppings and blood spots. The critters themselves are flat and about the size of a pea - they can hide in small spaces (cracks in wooden bed frames, the little covered end at the bottom of a zipper on the mattress, etc) - so check what you can.many Albergues were too dark to inspect for the small critters. And what 'evidence' would I be looking for? Do you also check the mattress/bed above yours if a lower bed is assigned to you
It is "known" by whom, and by what evidence other than people declaring it to be so?But...each day we spritzed our beds with lavender spray, which is also know[n] to deter the little bugs.
It is "known" by whom, and by what evidence other than people declaring it to be so?
This is good information. I would think this applies to all wool clothing, including cashmere.
I have done down in my household dryer at "high" heat without any obvious problems, but I might be more nervous with an expensive down bag. It is probably best to do it on a dry quilt if the purpose is to kill bedbugs.I would also worry about how high heat would affect my down quilt...
Yes, I agree, PLS DONT, also, some albergues now have signs, asking pilgrims to please not spray pesticides. You can get rid of them! Also, a pilgrim told me a few weeks ago on the Camino she hot washed, hot dried clothes, AND put the backpack in a freezer for a day.I don't want other pilgrims spraying noxious aerosol sprays in the dorms!
If you suspect you have picked up bedbugs get rid of them! It's not that difficult, though it takes some time.
Put everything that you can in a HOT dryer for at least a half an hour. Everything else goes into a plastic trash bag and on a hot day set it in the sun for several hours. If it's not hot spray the bug killer inside the bag, seal it up, and let it sit for several hours.
But...each day we spritzed our beds with lavender spray, which is also know to deter the little bugs. Not one bite the entire camino.
I've put my down quilt in a hot dryer more than once with no ill effects. I have even washed and dried merino clothing on hot. Perhaps I was lucky with that. Anyway, it's the hot drying that kills the bedbugs. You can wash at any temperature you wish.I would also worry about how high heat would affect my down quilt...
I would also worry about how high heat would affect my down quilt...
Many years ago National Geographic magazine had a special issue completely devoted to trash. In the end pages one of the writers told about all the research he had collected and put in boxes labelled "Trash". Yep, the cleaners came in one night and disposed of it all.After watching hours of the camera footage (don't ask why it took so long), I found out that someone working at the albergue had throw it out as he thought it was garbage
I used an albergue dryer not knowing how hot it could get. Unfortunately it ruined most of my synthetic clothes. The clothes were so hot I could barely touch them to pull them out!I would be concerned with the synthetic lining of the bag possibly melting. It would be important to take the bag out before the dryer stops, unless it has a cool down cycle. You wouldn't want it sitting in a hot drum.
Definately there is no cure all. Bedbugs have been around here, there, everywhere, and "forever and a day".Levity aside, on this forum there are numerous threads on this subject and, to my knowledge and reading, there is no “cure all” solution.
With so many pilgrims staying in alberques and shared accommodation, the problem will only be minimised by an integrated management approach. There are many things everyone can do in a step by step approach to limiting (although never eradicating) the problem.
Did you put your clothes in the dryer when they were wet? If so, not surprised they were ruined. Wet + heat is not good news for delicates.I used an albergue dryer not knowing how hot it could get. Unfortunately it ruined most of my synthetic clothes. The clothes were so hot I could barely touch them to pull them out!
My sleeping bag was another thing that the ladies at the albergue wanted to put through the hot wash, and which I refused to allow. It did fine in the tumble dryer - DRY - and it's made of synthetic hollow fibre, covered with a synthetic fabric. Only problem was that I did not do up the velcro at the top and that snagged a couple of items a bit.And, off topic, I don't recommend putting a soaking wet down sleeping bag into a dryer. The heavy wet clumps of down tumbling around can weaken the stitching on the baffles.
They went straight from the washing machine right into the dryer...just like I do at home.Did you put your clothes in the dryer when they were wet? If so, not surprised they were ruined. Wet + heat is not good news for delicates.
I put my DRY synthetics in the hot tumble - they were fine.
@RJM and others - please stop talking about spraying toxic stuff around in albergues as if it's a good idea and perfectly normal. It isn't. Imagine everyone spraying some chemical on or around the dorm beds every evening, imagine the buildup - not only does it risk the bugs becoming immune to it, but would you really want to lie down on that??
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