Bedbug Update

[vanleest]

We will be starting in Leon Sept. 12. Does anyone have info on the bedbugs this time of year.
We are treating our packs and sleeping bags. Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks

 

[AJ]

I encountered them in Ave fenix in Villalba and also in Santiago. The pharmacist I spoke to in Santiago told me that she gets requests for lotions and potions EVERY DAY.

 

[GunnarW]

What is in fact the % of peregrinos that got bitten by a bedbug?
I mean: if 100 peregrinos arrived in Santiago, how much got problems during the trip?
Is it higher then 1% or lower?

 

[j maguire]

Hi GunarW,

It's always difficult to be certain but in my experience it is less than 1%.

Buen Camino.

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola - I´ve just been asking in the ´Pilgrims´Office and we can´t remember the last time this year someone complained about bed bugs.

 

[AJ]

Hola - I´ve just been asking in the ´Pilgrims´Office and we can´t remember the last time this year someone complained about bed bugs.

I can't help wondering whether the problem is exacerbated because people DON'T complain. If the hospitalero/a doesn't know there is a problem...

I told the hospitalera at La Faba that I had imported bugs from Ave Fenix and she quickly dealt with and solved the issue.

 

[grayland]

I am curious as to what the hospitalera at La Faba did to solve the issue. (other than send you packing along with your little friends :wink: ).

What action did she take? If you thought you were carrying them...what did you do to rid yourself of them?

 

[AJ]

I am curious as to what the hospitalera at La Faba did to solve the issue. (other than send you packing along with your little friends :wink: ).

What action did she take? If you thought you were carrying them...what did you do to rid yourself of them?

I told her I thought I was carrying them and asked if we could deal with the problem NOW. She wasn't keen, wanted me to disappear but agreed to help. Everything washable was put in the washing machine and then the dryer for over an hour. Everything else was put in a plastic bin bag and had the shit sprayed out of it with something or other, then left in the sun for the rest of the day. It worked. No more bites. God bless the hospitalera of La Faba!!

 

[Rebekah Scott]

I trust you left a NICE donativo on top of the regular charge, to offset all that trouble and expense. The anti-bedbug spray we have here costs 16 Euros per can, and high-temperature washes and dryer treatments really run up the electric bills fast.

Just sayin
Reb.

 

[grayland]

Reb..
What is the name of the spray that is available in Spain? Who carries it?

 

[Fidelma]

Hi all,

I have just returned from walking from sjpdp to santiago and it was an amazing time however, on four separate occasions I was bitten by bed bugs, each time I washed and dried all my clothes at high temperatures and used spray on my back back , similar to above, but alas I got bitten again and again and unfortunately I met many many people whom were bitten also.

I guess next time I will bring a bed bug mat!! I disposed of all my walking clothes, evening clothes, rucksack and runners in Santiago as I was afraid I would carry them home with me. So far so good! But be careful if you do get bitten as I know of people who brought them from the camino to their homes and they can be pretty hard to get rid off!

Its an amazing journey and buen camino!

 

[vanleest]

Thanks for all the replies. I am spraying everything before I go and bringing some spray with me plus a mattress cover that has been treated.
We leave in a week so getting ready and trying so hard to travel light.

 

[annakappa]

Hello Fidelma, Can you make a guess as to which were the albergues where you were bitten? Anne

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have not heard any complaints from Astorga to Cacabelos. Yesterday the albergue sprayed the place in the afternoon, so the albergues are on the watch. They can arrive daily, so it is hard to pin down where the danger lays. It is best to be vigilant.

 

[catherinemccoy]

This conversation is making me itchy! :roll: I just went and bought some spray!

 

[mtcab]

This conversation is making me itchy! :roll: I just went and bought some spray!

Hey Catherine:
You're on your way in a day or two..no wonder you're itchy!! We'll be a couple of days behind you, leaving Toronto on the 6th and SJPP on the 9th. Go safely.
Carmel

 

[Beverley]

Hi I am coming into this discussion late but I want to say that if it has not already been suggested that lavender oil is supposed to work on keeping the bugs off. I just got back from Del Norte 3 weeks ago and found no bugs. I did experience them in Barcelona however. I took a small bottle of oil of lavender and a small spray bottle. I put hot water into the spray bottle and put in a few drops of the oil.. I then shook the oil and water together and sprayed the mattress. After that I had no problems. It sounds cumbersum but the spray bottle was small as was the bottle of oil and it really was worth it.
Bev

 

[Tia Valeria]

That is interesting Beverley. Some years ago we bought a natural moth repellent bag containing, among other things, southernwood and lavender. It works.
We have a southernwood and also lavender in our garden and pick and dry the leaves and buds respectively to make our own bags up. I think I will try storing my camino kit with these and pop a small bag into my pack, light and easy to carry. Although we wouldn't expect bugs in the spring it might keep mozzies off too if they are around. So when you meet a pilgrim smelling of lavender.........

 

[gypsy9]

lavender, great holistic tip as I am leaving to walk "the way" in a few days ...
Are bed-bugs worse than mosquito bites?
Is this why there is a heightened sense of anxiety around these critters?
Are the bites painful and do they affect one's Camino experience greatly...
or...are they merely an "inconvenience"?
Any bed-bug survivors care to inform this soon to be pilgrim?

 

[gypsy9]

Calamine lotion is an effective remedy for bites.

 

[gittiharre]

I do urge everyone to google bedbugs as a topic and take the problem seriously. They are being spread around the globe by careless travellers and are taking the world by storm. Each one has the capacity to lay over 200 eggs and a bug can survive for months without a feed. So if you bring one with you, you may not know for a long time that you have imported a problem. Once they have had a feed they go and hide in inaccessible places, like behind electric power points, where fumigation and sprays don't reach them and they have developed a resistence to sprays anyway. So vigilance, prevention are the only way to really deal with them. Once you have brought them home it is almost impossible to rid yourself of them. Some of the refuges I came across in France, that had been infested were having to close down over and over again for repeated toxic spraying, but it is only a matter of time before they are back in force. I am not scarmongering, this is the reality. Some refuges like gite Ultreia in Moissac use an organic preventive spray on a 6 yo 8 week cycle hoping that they will not develop problems. The bites are not nice, the bugs bite in a row usually, which form a series of itchy lumps, commonly around the abdominal area, where the skin is soft and where there is fatty tissue, they seem to like that. Some people react in allergic ways and end up on steroids. I have seen several people with quite extreme reactions of puffyness, swelling all over body, breathing problems, one needed hospitalisation. So do watch out, every place I stay in I do a basic check over, looking for blood specs on walls, black little dots on sheets ( bed bug poo) and then I check under mattress, corners of the bed and around window sills. I have seen colonies of them around the window sills sometimes, they look like a dry dead hard shell, but when you disturb them they start to move fast. I never take my pack off until I have done this basic check. I have walked out of perhaps 6 to 8 or so places during my walks, ( 3000 km) , touch wood, have not got bitten so far, but it feels inevitable one day....cheers, Gitti

 

[karennz2012]

are the bedbugs a seasonal thing? and if so, are they around in May.

thanks for the lavender suggestion - sounds a good non-toxic response

karen

 

[OldDad]

I don't think I encountered any bedbugs that I know of. Even though the lore on the matter is definitely extant here, I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about it. Those critters can be annoying kinda like noseeums in parts of the USA, but please don't let them scare you off from the Camino. It's maybe kind of like worrying about the bogey man when your were little. Once you are on the Camino, for real, and the lights come on, you'll be just fine.

 

[Beverley]

The mosquitos in spain are different species than those here in north america. I hate the llittle buggers here and while they are not as numerous on the Caminos (I experienced none on the Frances, some on the Portuguese and some on the Del Norte), I hated them even more over there. Our bodies are not used to the secretions injected by the species over there so reaction can more itch and swelling.
The tiger mosquito was bad in Basque country this year and fortunately I took bug spray. In Portugual I got my first few bites last year and my hand and arm swelled up for days. I am not a person who takes drugs to deal with stuff like this so the swelling lasted for a while but left no ill effects. This year I used the bug spray at night, after the first bite, but never had to use it during the day.
In Portugal I took the bites to be bed bugs but later realised they were tiger bites! :evil:
BY the way, don't forget to enjoy your trip. Fear is too heavy to carry, so leave it at home. You will be fine. :wink:
Blessings to all about to set out.

Bev

 

[GunnarW]

Thanks Gittiharre and all others on this forum and outside this forum to document, to inform, to remind on bedbugs. I plan to do the same as described: observe, observe and observe and then pack out.
I will buy a spray in France or in Spain and check the mattress to see if there is some movement.
I still have a small question. Does it take sense to check (the content of) your bag on regulary base very preciously in all corners and dark places? As they measure 5mm, it should be possible to find them if you carry them.

 

[Joni]

are the bedbugs a seasonal thing? and if so, are they around in May.

thanks for the lavender suggestion - sounds a good non-toxic response

karen

I walked in May 2010. No bedbugs anyway! I think the earlier you go, the less chance you have of being bitten. The more people that pass through, the greater the chances.

 

[karennz2012]

thanks Joni
good to know
also thanks to those who have posted detailed descriptions of what to look for, just in case.
karen

 

[Deleted member 3000]

A woman reported last night that she had left the municipal albergue in Villafranca del Bierzo two days earlier at 3 a.m. in the morning when she woke up and saw ¨thousands¨ of bedbugs! It takes a while to build up to that number, so they arrived days or weeks before, but she spent the next day cleaning all her equipment.

Be prepared, and treat your equipment before leaving home. Use a DEET insect repellant at night if you are allergic to the bites. Several other pilgrims have reported mosquito bites, but I have not seen any mosquitos, so I think the blame belongs to bedbugs, and the welts are appearing a day later. Some of the flies bite. I have looked down at my arms while walking, and seen streams of blood from where a fly has silently bitten me!

The weather is greatl

 

[sun is shining]

Luckily I've only encountered bedbugs once on my Camino and that was (of all places) in Santiago. I've had one night in the private albergue Acuario and woke up the next morning covered in bites all over my arms and legs. At first I thought they are just really bad mosquito bites but after going to a farmacia the lady at the counter confirmed that they are bed bug bites. It did surprise me a bit because whenever I had them in SoutheastAsia they woke me up instantly and were very painful - these only started to itch the next morning.

 

[agnesczaj]

Although it's been a while since the last post on this forum, I would like to ask if there is space in albergues/refugios (I'm a newbie so still don't know the difference ) to sleep on the floor. I'm planning to bring my own mat and sleeping bag as I am paranoid of bed bugs. It's a serious problem increasing in New York City and last thing I want to do is to bring them back home. Even though some pilgrims here don't take it seriously, it is extremely difficult to get rid of them.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Ummmm... bedbugs travel from one bed to the other on the floor? :?

 

[GunnarW]

Hello agnesczaj,

Yes, bedbugs are a problem on the camino. Nice to read that you are informed. During your camino, try to speak about bedbugs during a chat and you will see that almost no one knows what bedbugs are.
And yes (last year), even the albergues (except some rare exceptions) don't take care about bedbugs (chinches en español)
As Annie replied, bedbugs can go from one place to another on the ground, on the wall, on the ceiling,... There should be some less chance by sleeping on the ground except if the ground is made from wood...

Read also my report I made during my camino unfortunately not taken serious by some members here:
el-camino-frances/topic11763.html?hilit=bedbugs#p79065
In September 2011, there was a real bedbug problem somewhere just before Leon and (at least) a minor one around Los Arcos and Foncebadon.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

my report I made during my camino unfortunately not taken serious by some members here

If you read the topic again, I think you will see that your post was taken very seriously by everyone. Some members said they had not encountered bed bugs, but there are excellent comments on maintaining attitude in the face of bed bugs, treatment options, and experiences similar to yours. Almost everyone is interested in bed bugs -- it is right up there with the weather and blisters in the number of comments!

 

[JohnnieWalker]

Hola

There is a now a trickle of pilgrims complaining about bed bugs mainly on the Camino Frances but also on the Caminos del Norte. They are however very much in the minority. Bed bugs have always been with us on the camino - preventation and preparation are the keys to a bug free camino.

John

 

[Pieces]

I was bitten a few weeks ago, but I seem o be susceptible as I was bitten last year also...

this year I brought a bedbugsheet, not that it helped. Also it says on the pack that it will protect you for 2 yrs but has no datestamt. Go figure...

Antihistamine takes most of the itch btw

 

[MoniRose]

Sun Is Shining - Your bed bug experience was mine! I arrived July 4 in Santiago and spent the night in a 4 star hotel. The next day bug bites that I thought may have been fleas or something that bit me on the road the day before, but I still slept in the other twin bed the next night. No additional bites.
I flew to Paris and immediately stopped at a farmacia for the itching and it was confirmed....bed bugs bites! Who would have thought I would make it across the entire Camino only to encounter them in a "four star", but bed bugs bite in a line of threes...they call it "breakfast, lunch, and dinner". That's how one knows they are the culprit.
It has been a week and a half and I have yet to SEE a bed bug, but to be safe I spent my week in Paris trying to thoroughly clean everything in between my vacation celebration. You can wash washables in HOT water and tumble dry other things (backpack, shoes, fanny packs) on high heat. Anything you can't wash or tumble should be put in a ziplock and placed in a freezer for minimum three days. The ziplock keeps out condensation from electronics. In addition, diatimatious earth sprinkled around baseboards won't hurt pets or people but will dry up the critters.
Buen Camino, everyone. Don't let the bed bugs spoil your journey!! - M :arrow:

 

[fraluchi]

Who would have thought I would make it across the entire Camino only to encounter them in a "four star", but bed bugs bite in a line of threes...they call it "breakfast, lunch, and dinner". That's how one knows they are the culprit. Don't let the bed bugs spoil your journey!! - M :arrow:

Thank you for warning all pilgrims once again that these critters can turn up anywhere!
New York luxury and other hotels had an emergency a short while ago, and the Camino albergues with its large people turnover are no exception.
Therefore, be alert for conspicuous signs: always check mattresses and sheets. Put your backpack on the floor, not the bed.

 

[Anniesantiago]

If at all possible, hang your backpack from a door hook or put it on a chair or table.
Putting it on the floor will give the bedbugs perfect access, as they crawl the floor to get to the beds and are often found in the cracks around the baseboards.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

put it on a chair

Please don't unless there is one chair per bed. People need to sit in that chair!!!

Otherwise, Anniesantiago is absolutely correct.

 

[AJ]

I was bitten in Arzua last week, but not badly and I had no hitchhikers with me when I left.

I have only met one other person who has been bitten this year and another who thought she had been badly bitten, but it turned out to be an allergic reaction to ibuprufeno - she had blood tests in Santiago.

 

[agnesczaj]

Dear All, as I'm getting ready for the trip in September I am making notes and will get prepared. :twisted:
Quick Summary of Bed Bugs Tips:
- Treat bags, backpack, etc. before the trip
- Consider buying bed bug mat
- Before you decide on sleeping in any given albergue inspect mattress, frame, floor and window creases
- Spray the bed lightly with insect repellent and wait to see if little suckers appear
- No backpack on bed EVER
- Hang it on a hook if possible

Shopping list (to choose from):
- permethrin
- bed bug killer (natural if possible)
- oil of lavender + spray bottle
- DEET insect spray
- antihistamine
- portable hook (wonder if I can find that)

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Spray the bed lightly with insect repellent and wait to see if little suckers appear

Don't you find a bit of hubris in spraying air others expect to breathe, or treating someone else's abode without their permission? Perhaps it would be polite to ask the hospitalero if it is OK for you to treat his establishment. If every pilgrim sprayed every albergue, they would become so toxic that they would be unlivable. The Red Cross building in Washington, DC was treated for so many years to eliminate rats that they had to close the basement. It was too toxic for human occupancy! (They did decontaminate it at great expense.)

Keep your bed bug war personal by treating your own equipment at home; don't impose it on others who may have sensitivities you don't know about!

 

[vagabondette]

Spray the bed lightly with insect repellent and wait to see if little suckers appear

Don't you find a bit of hubris in spraying air others expect to breathe, or treating someone else's abode without their permission? Perhaps it would be polite to ask the hospitalero if it is OK for you to treat his establishment. If every pilgrim sprayed every albergue, they would become so toxic that they would be unlivable. The Red Cross building in Washington, DC was treated for so many years to eliminate rats that they had to close the basement. It was too toxic for human occupancy! (They did decontaminate it at great expense.)

Keep your bed bug war personal by treating your own equipment at home; don't impose it on others who may have sensitivities you don't know about!

Agreed. You should never spray ANYTHING (including body sprays, bug sprays, deodorant, perfume, sunscreen, etc.) much less poison, in the sleeping areas.

 

[annakappa]

Dear All, as I'm getting ready for the trip in September I am making notes and will get prepared. :twisted:
Quick Summary of Bed Bugs Tips:
- Treat bags, backpack, etc. before the trip
- Consider buying bed bug mat
- Before you decide on sleeping in any given albergue inspect mattress, frame, creases

I'm sorry to disillusion you, but you will have ALREADY checked into your Albergue, before you ever get to see either your dorm or your bed! Anne

 

[vagabondette]

- portable hook (wonder if I can find that)

try a piece of rope.

 

[anniethenurse]

- portable hook (wonder if I can find that)

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80072644/

 

[methodist.pilgrim.98]

Hi Annie.

In 1998 I paid to enter the refugio at Mazarife. Took one look at the matresses, rested in a chair and then walked in the late afternoon to where I spent the night.

Wasn't in the slightest bothered about the loss of cash.

 

[willysmom]

Hi all
Just wanted to jump in on this topic. Although I am no longer in it, Ive spent most of my career in the hotel industry. As you can imagine bedbugs are my least favorite topic. So here is what I can offer:

Check your mattresses thoroughly. They usually hide in the creases and seams. Also in bedboards, : footboards.

Don't ever place your bag or any item on a bed. In fact even placing it near a bed gives the critters a chance to hitchhike. I'm thinking about bringing a large plastic trash bag to use as a cover for my backpack.

I don't think deet works. Permethrin is good. Pretreating is good

Steam heat and high dryer heat will kill them and is more successful than washing.

OK here is the creepy part. Bed bugs don't feed everyday. They can go for weeks without feeding. Only about 1/3 of the people who are bitten have a reaction so you may be dinner and not know it.
I don't mean to give everyone the creeps. Just be diligent in checking the beds and your pack and clothing so you aren't the reason for infesting another bed.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

the refugio at Mazarife

There are three albergues in Mazarife now, so you can reject one and try another. I like Tio Pepe.

 

[agnesczaj]

Dear All, as I'm getting ready for the trip in September I am making notes and will get prepared. :twisted:
Quick Summary of Bed Bugs Tips:
- Treat bags, backpack, etc. before the trip
- Consider buying bed bug mat
- Before you decide on sleeping in any given albergue inspect mattress, frame, creases

I'm sorry to disillusion you, but you will have ALREADY checked into your Albergue, before you ever get to see either your dorm or your bed! Anne

Anne, I'd rather go somewhere else then if I see signs of bedbugs... :?

 

[agnesczaj]

Spray the bed lightly with insect repellent and wait to see if little suckers appear

Don't you find a bit of hubris in spraying air others expect to breathe, or treating someone else's abode without their permission? Perhaps it would be polite to ask the hospitalero if it is OK for you to treat his establishment. If every pilgrim sprayed every albergue, they would become so toxic that they would be unlivable. The Red Cross building in Washington, DC was treated for so many years to eliminate rats that they had to close the basement. It was too toxic for human occupancy! (They did decontaminate it at great expense.)

Keep your bed bug war personal by treating your own equipment at home; don't impose it on others who may have sensitivities you don't know about!

I realize that, I wouldn't do it without asking first... also I generally use eco-friendly products at home and I'm still searching for natural bed bug repellents.

 

[vagabondette]

I realize that, I wouldn't do it without asking first... also I generally use eco-friendly products at home and I'm still searching for natural bed bug repellents.

So you'll wait until every person sleeping in that room has arrived and then ask them all right?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I'm still searching for natural bed bug repellents.

Good luck! I am pretty sure that none of them work.

 

[MoniRose]

I spent one night in an albergue in Azofra with a gal who sprayed her bed. There were only two of us in a tiny closed in space and it gagged me. My niece is working on her doctorate in this area (she lived thru a terrible infestation in Illinois) and I believe she would agree that the sprays don't work. There was nothing she could recommend to me prior to my Camino.
Just be diligent and enjoy the Camino. - M :arrow:

 

[Snake]

Just a suggestion, I plan on pretreating my stuff prior to leaving, however,

I'm not sure of my sensitivity to permethrin, so this week I'm treating a pillowcase and lay on it (not in my bed) but during the week to see if I have a reaction to it.

I dont want to find out the first week on the Camino!!!

The reaction may be worse than the BB bites!!!

Just a thought!