Bedbugs confirmed, Albergue Monte Irago, Foncebadón

[AlexanderAZ]

I read a post in the last week or so from someone reporting bedbugs in a specific location. The post included discussion about changing the title of the post to "Possible" bedbugs because it couldn't be verified. Last night while squarely looking at several bed bugs at 10pm I recalled this post so I took a photo of one of the bedbugs on the wall by my bed for proof. What was most disturbing was the owner's attitude when I showed him the photo... a shrug and "It's part of the Camino". If I had any reasonable option to leave I would have done so but I had earlier talked to friends in villages one & two back from Foncebadón who reported no beds available. There were none in Foncebadón either. If Cruz de Ferro & the ascent/descent wasn't in the next mile in front of me I would have just left & started walking even in the middle of the night. For those wishing to avoid a bedbug experience the info of the place is: Alburgue Monte Irago in Foncebadón, specifically the 2nd floor.

UPDATE EDIT: Apparently the post I made a few days after this didn't make it past the wonky Wi-Fi I was using. I alerted someone who was a day behind me of this bedbug situation. He did not get my notification until after he arrived and checked in to this very albergue. He promptly repacked his bag and went downstairs to tell the owner he was checking out. The owner adamantly denied having knowledge of any bedbug issue! Folks, bedbugs is one issue but the larger issue is an albergue owner having NO INTEGRITY. This lights me up much more than a bedbug issue.

 

[ELHS220]

That's the big modern one with the expansive balcony/porch. I stayed there in June. I didn't realize there were two levels in the building. The mattresses were the vinyl kind too, I believe. I think I'm starting to itch now!

 

[C clearly]

What was most disturbing was the owner's attitude when I showed him the photo... a shrug and "It's part of the Camino". If I had any reasonable option to leave I would have done so

As discussed on another thread, bedbugs are virtually ubiquitous on the Camino Frances, and most hospitaleros have to deal with them regularly. I imagine they need to decide whether to close for proper treatment immediately upon a sighting, whether to give spot treatment every day after the pilgrims have left, when to close down for a day or two of full treatment, etc. It sounds like in your case, the hospitalero seemed too casual. On the other hand, what were his choices at that moment? Did he have any "reasonable option"?

The bedbugs are a real problem, with no simple solution. Each of us needs to to do our best to help by not transporting them. The albergue operators also have to carry out appropriate pest control and hygiene practices that make control more effective.

 

[Marbe2]

Thank you for letting us know! Hopefully the establishment will perform the necessary intervention promptly! I am writing down the name and will check future reviews before I consider booking there!

 

[AlexanderAZ]

Thank you for letting us know! Hopefully the establishment will perform the necessary intervention promptly! I am writing down the name and will check future reviews before I consider booking there!

I'm not very hopeful. If you check Google reviews of this place it has an identical report to the one I made above. I don't see a date on the review but apparently there is an on-going issue.

 

[tpmchugh]

I dont know if this works as I have never had any contact with these little critters but another pilgrim recently told me that she carries a jar of Vick with her as insects, including bedbugs, dont like the smell. She uses it on her feet each morning to prevent blisters and each night to avoid bedbugs. And we all thought it was for a bad chest

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

I read a post in the last week or so from someone reporting bedbugs in a specific location. The post included discussion about changing the title of the post to "Possible" bedbugs because it couldn't be verified. Last night while squarely looking at several bed bugs at 10pm I recalled this post so I took a photo of one of the bedbugs on the wall by my bed for proof. What was most disturbing was the owner's attitude when I showed him the photo... a shrug and "It's part of the Camino". If I had any reasonable option to leave I would have done so but I had earlier talked to friends in villages one & two back from Foncebadón who reported no beds available. There were none in Foncebadón either. If Cruz de Ferro & the ascent/descent wasn't in the next mile in front of me I would have just left & started walking even in the middle of the night. For those wishing to avoid a bedbug experience the info of the place is: Alburgue Monte Irago in Foncebadón, specifically the 2nd floor.

View attachment 36701

For better or for worse, bed bugs are an aspect of the Camino. I think it is much ado about nothing.
I always think back to what it must have been like throughout history. Most pilgrims had nothing. And if they weren’t robbed, beaten or murdered, they very likely arrived in Santiago sick, starved, full of lice and fleas. Some say that was the original intent of the botefumiero.

 

[trecile]

arrived in Santiago sick, starved, full of lice and fleas. Some say that was the original intent of the botefumiero.

You forgot to mention that when they arrived they smelled really bad! That was the purpose of the botafumiero!

 

[Aussie Cossie Tanya]

For better or for worse, bed bugs are an aspect of the Camino. I think it is much ado about nothing.

For most people, bed bugs are just an annoyance and inconvenience. For me, and I am aware of several other authors of posts on other threads, they are very serious medical condition. I got "attacked" on a Liveaboard scuba diving off Queensland and again travelling in New Zealand. One very sick girl for an extended period and left with scarring. I desperately need any solid, reliable advice on dealing with them. I'm grateful for updates of infestation and especially monitor these type of warning posts

 

[C clearly]

For me, and I am aware of several other authors of posts on other threads, they are very serious medical condition.

In this case, I would strongly recommend all the usual precautions (pretreatment, enclosing your backpack, isolating night things,etc.) plus liberal use of DEET, every night.

 

[peregrina2000]

Looks like we may be getting close to the point that the newsworthy post will be when someone finds an albergue that DOESN'T have bedbugs. I do know some owners of private places who have never had an infestation, though, probably partly luck and partly fastidious inspection as part of the regular cleaning process.

 

[C clearly]

I do know some owners of private places who have never had an infestation, though, probably partly luck and partly fastidious inspection as part of the regular cleaning process.

What I'm curious about is whether those owners have ever found a stray bedbug during their careful inspections. That doesn't strike me as an infestation, but it is an occurrence. If they have never even found one, I'd say that is luck because no one has brought and left any.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There must be a nest with eggs for an infestation. The diligent albergues that immediately exterminate bedbugs are the ones that deal with just hitchhikers instead of an infestation. No adults, no eggs, no infestation.

 

[FRR]

So that’s what they look like!

Just did the Camino a few weeks ako and managed to not get any bedbugs. Stayed at the Monte Irago but was at the “yoga room” where there were no bedframes, just mattresses on the floor.

 

[Marbe2]

For most people, bed bugs are just an annoyance and inconvenience. For me, and I am aware of several other authors of posts on other threads, they are very serious medical condition. I got "attacked" on a Liveaboard scuba diving off Queensland and again travelling in New Zealand. One very sick girl for an extended period and left with scarring. I desperately need any solid, reliable advice on dealing with them. I'm grateful for updates of infestation and especially monitor these type of warning posts

Most people who likely respond that bed bugs are merely annoying, probably have never gotten bitten, or got a couple of bites. Having been bitten severely myself from a place that was clearly infested I think until one has encountered numerous bites one can not know the impact on another individual. I was bitten about 45 times in one night and the welts were like bee bites! So please do not minimize the the impact on someone else!

Cossie, The only thing I find that keeps them out is deet!

 

[peregrina2000]

There must be a nest with eggs for an infestation. The diligent albergues that immediately exterminate bedbugs are the ones that deal with just hitchhikers instead of an infestation. No adults, no eggs, no infestation.

So, falcon, you have made me rethink our oft repeated maxim that bedbug infestations have nothing to do with cleanliness. At some level that is simply not true, because if an owner is diligent and engages in frequent cleanings, they will be able to prevent an infestation. And since bedbugs are clearly visible to the naked eye, the places that get infestations are the places that have not engaged in periodic cleanings that get the little critters before they build a nest.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Please! Bedbugs are not “compulsory “ & any decent, responsible albergue operator “should” take all reasonable steps to eliminate them (mho)). Again, imho, any albergue operator who gives you the brush-off, should be given similar treatment. Given that winter is approaching one would hope that our “friend” in Foncebardon would take the opportunity to do a thorough clean when closing for the winter!
Fingers crossed!

 

[tomnorth]

I'm not entirely surprised that this albergue had bedbugs. I stayed there in the Fall of 2015. I enjoyed my stay a lot, but the vibe was definitely laid back and bohemian. I wouldn't rate the cleaning as spotless. I'd stay again, but I'd check the bed closely.

 

[good_old_shoes]

They really are everywhere on the Francés. If you don't see them, you just don't know what to look for (either because you don't react to the bites or there are less because of the season).

I know someone who had the bugs, and a very nice, concerned hospitalero called the last four albergues that pilgrim had stayed at. Three of them admitted to have an infestation. None of those had mentioned it to the pilgrims who stayed there, of course, therefore most pilgrims didn't take precautions and likely carried them on to the next places unknowingly (some people don't react to the bites at all, some react days or weeks later, and the bugs are sneaky and hide well, which makes it easy to spread them without knowing).

Don't get me wrong, this is not meant as an accusation. But better communication would probably help dealing with the problem, and in most cases, that's not exactly happening right now.

Regarding bed bugs/cleanliness:
It really isn't connected. Bed bugs don't live off filth like roaches. They survive in perfectly clean environment, all they need is a small crevice to hide (even behind a socket or light switch) and someone's blood from time to time (they can survive for over a year without a meal!). You can clean as much as you want and never get rid of them. They're immune to most chemicals, also. That's why they're so difficult to get rid of and why you really, really don't want to bring them home.

 

[Mooncat]

I also stayed at Monte Irago in 2015, on the 3rd floor. No bedbugs to report, though the mattress allowed me to count all my bones. Before leaving the pristine and antiseptic walls of my bachelor abode here in southern New Mexico, I sprayed the inside of my pack, inside of my sleeping bag, and my silk liner with permetherin. I also made sure to exude at least a half bottle of vino tinto from my pores during the night, and had no bedbug bites at any time along the Camino Frances.

 

[C clearly]

While bedbugs do not feed off filth, I think that careful hygiene and regular treatment are the only controls short of all-out chemical warfare, and they are important if the owner wants to manage bedbugs. Without such cleanliness and order, decontamination has to be much more difficult. That's why I prefer the institutional plastic and metal dorms over the more "bohemian" (as @tomnorth describes) places for the reason that they must be easier to keep clean and monitor for bedbugs.

most pilgrims didn't take precautions and likely carried them on to the next places

This is why it is a good idea to always assume there are bedbugs everywhere, and take precautions.

better communication would probably help

Yes! The owner is not necessarily being irresponsible if a bedbug or 2 are found. They should not be dismissive, but even the diligent ones might not react with the same shock and horror that the pilgrim was perhaps expecting. Owners who deny they have ever had a bedbug might be afraid of ruining their reputations on the internet. This is why it can be counterproductive to immediately publicize a single encounter. Again there's no simple solution, but that is why we sometimes caution against naming and shaming here on the forum.

Anyone who walks the Camino Frances should not be surprised to encounter bedbugs. I would be very surprised to walk the Camino Frances without getting bitten. If bites are a serious threat to your health, then I'd suggest another route would be wise.

 

[peregrina2000]

@C clearly, I was just going to write the same thing! There's a difference between saying that bedbugs thrive in any kind of environment, clean or dirty, and saying that if an owner keeps his/her place clean, and a part of that cleaning is a routine search for bed bugs, the incidence of bed bugs will be greatly decreased.

I think the cleanest albergue I ever stayed in was in Sangüesa on the Aragonés. Spotless kitchen, spotless baths, spotless floors, etc etc. But the next day in the first bar we came across along the way, we learned that bedbugs were a perennial problem back there and that in fact the albergue was being closed that day for fumigation. I was always quite thankful not to have been bitten but a little peeved that the hospitalera didn't tell us there were confirmed bedbugs there. So that must be an albergue that didn't have "bedbug hunting" as part of their regular cleaning process.

I think that those with a more logical mind than mine would say that cleanliness is usually a necessary but not sufficient condition for avoiding bedbugs. As you say, there may be those who have escaped the problem only because of sheer luck, but that number is surely diminishing now that the pilgrim traffic is so heavy. And at least one of my albergue owner friends who has never had an infestation confirmed to me that yes they had found a bedbug or two at times but had always acted quickly to get rid of them, so I guess that´s what falcon means by talking about infestations not taking place if you nip it in the bug so to speak.

 

[marilyn van graan]

As discussed on another thread, bedbugs are virtually ubiquitous on the Camino Frances, and most hospitaleros have to deal with them regularly. I imagine they need to decide whether to close for proper treatment immediately upon a sighting, whether to give spot treatment every day after the pilgrims have left, when to close down for a day or two of full treatment, etc. It sounds like in your case, the hospitalero seemed too casual. On the other hand, what were his choices at that moment? Did he have any "reasonable option"?

The bedbugs are a real problem, with no simple solution. Each of us needs to to do our best to help by not transporting them. The albergue operators also have to carry out appropriate pest control and hygiene practices that make control more effective.

Can you tell me how not to transport these critters or am I just being a tad stupid here!!

 

[marilyn van graan]

For better or for worse, bed bugs are an aspect of the Camino. I think it is much ado about nothing.
I always think back to what it must have been like throughout history. Most pilgrims had nothing. And if they weren’t robbed, beaten or murdered, they very likely arrived in Santiago sick, starved, full of lice and fleas. Some say that was the original intent of the botefumiero.

I disagree that bedbugs have to be an aspect of the camino - once you have been bitten by these critters and have had a reaction then you will surely change your tune!!!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Can you tell me how not to transport these critters or am I just being a tad stupid here!!

Bedbugs are looking for food and a place to nest after eating. Permethrin kills them. DEET is a repellent. Keep equipment where it cannot become a nesting place. Equipment in the path between a nest and you could become a new nest. Putting a backpack under a bed or against a wall is a bad idea. Hanging it on a bunk away from a corner post, or from a hook on the wall is probably best. Treat equipment with permethin to kill bedbugs. Use DEET at night on flesh that will be exposed.

 

[C clearly]

I disagree that bedbugs have to be an aspect of the camino - once you have been bitten by these critters and have had a reaction then you will surely change your tune!!!

Well, I have been bitten many times and haven't figured out how to make them not an aspect of my Caminos!

Can you tell me how not to transport these critters or am I just being a tad stupid here!!

When you arrive in an albergue, put your back pack into a large airtight dry bag or plastic garbage bag. At night, put everything away in it and close it up. Bedbugs are most active at night. In the morning, isolate everything that was exposed (sleeping bag, night clothes, etc.) in a separate air tight bag placed inside your pack. During the day, if neither you nor your roommates develop itchy bites, you are probably free of them. If you or they do develop reactions, then you must find a dryer. Put your sleeping stuff, that was isolated all day, straight into the dryer (dry already) for 30 minutes.

Doing this requires that you be rather organized with your belongings - strewing them about on the bed and floor is not a good idea!

Following these guidelines should reduce your chances of carrying bedbugs along. When you arrive home, assume that you were exposed, and go through the whole treatment process as outlined in SYates's guide here.

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

You forgot to mention that when they arrived they smelled really bad! That was the purpose of the botafumiero!

Lol! Yeah, I meant to mention that. But I think it was also thought, it might delouse them too.

 

[Saint Mike II]

Greetings amigos/as, I am fortunate not to have directly encountered these little buggers. But my travelling companion did much to her horror, she had had previous experience back in her home country. Whilst I was able to buy very strong anti-bed bug sprays, these are prohibited in her country.
I do know of one new albergue that expects to never have bed bugs, as the owner is allergic to them. All her beds are metal, mattresses fully sealed, and she follows a very thorough daily cleaning regime. Now not all albergue follow a similar practice but should at least try too and when the bugs are found be prepared to close for a day or two to clean. Also be honest to say what they are doing & why!

 

[RuijgRock]

Just wrote a reply on another bed big post; this morning I killed 2 bedbugs in this paticular hostel. Owner told me the day before they chemically treated the second floor; today they will treat the first floor. Hope it's true.

 

[jshadd]

They really are everywhere on the Francés. If you don't see them, you just don't know what to look for (either because you don't react to the bites or there are less because of the season).

I know someone who had the bugs, and a very nice, concerned hospitalero called the last four albergues that pilgrim had stayed at. Three of them admitted to have an infestation. None of those had mentioned it to the pilgrims who stayed there, of course, therefore most pilgrims didn't take precautions and likely carried them on to the next places unknowingly (some people don't react to the bites at all, some react days or weeks later, and the bugs are sneaky and hide well, which makes it easy to spread them without knowing).

Don't get me wrong, this is not meant as an accusation. But better communication would probably help dealing with the problem, and in most cases, that's not exactly happening right now.

Regarding bed bugs/cleanliness:
It really isn't connected. Bed bugs don't live off filth like roaches. They survive in perfectly clean environment, all they need is a small crevice to hide (even behind a socket or light switch) and someone's blood from time to time (they can survive for over a year without a meal!). You can clean as much as you want and never get rid of them. They're immune to most chemicals, also. That's why they're so difficult to get rid of and why you really, really don't want to bring them home.

Have you heard of Camino Annie’s Method? She keeps her bag outside then sprays her bedding area with DEET or similar local compound and waits about 10 minutes. After that she looks for bedbugs. He chemicals sprayed do not kill them as they have become resistant, but it does drive them away. If she sees the bugs, she goes elsewhere if possible.

 

[RogerB]

I read a post in the last week or so from someone reporting bedbugs in a specific location. The post included discussion about changing the title of the post to "Possible" bedbugs because it couldn't be verified. Last night while squarely looking at several bed bugs at 10pm I recalled this post so I took a photo of one of the bedbugs on the wall by my bed for proof. What was most disturbing was the owner's attitude when I showed him the photo... a shrug and "It's part of the Camino". If I had any reasonable option to leave I would have done so but I had earlier talked to friends in villages one & two back from Foncebadón who reported no beds available. There were none in Foncebadón either. If Cruz de Ferro & the ascent/descent wasn't in the next mile in front of me I would have just left & started walking even in the middle of the night. For those wishing to avoid a bedbug experience the info of the place is: Alburgue Monte Irago in Foncebadón, specifically the 2nd floor.

View attachment 36701

I stayed there last night and one of the floors was closed for disinfecting. They said the other floor had been disinfected the previous day.

 

[JoEllen]

That's the big modern one with the expansive balcony/porch. I stayed there in June. I didn't realize there were two levels in the building. The mattresses were the vinyl kind too, I believe. I think I'm starting to itch now!

No - it's not the big modern one....that one is after the descent. It is the hippie-ish one in Foncebadon. I hated that place, but my daughter thought it was so cool. I thought it was dirty and overcrowded.

 

[trecile]

Have you heard of Camino Annie’s Method? She keeps her bag outside then sprays her bedding area with DEET or similar local compound and waits about 10 minutes. After that she looks for bedbugs. He chemicals sprayed do not kill them as they have become resistant, but it does drive them away. If she sees the bugs, she goes elsewhere if possible.

I don't think I'd be happy if everyone was spraying stinky DEET all around the albergue...

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I don't think I'd be happy if everyone was spraying stinky DEET all around the albergue...

True. Say an albergues has 30 beds, and each day each pilgrim sprays DEET or permethrin (or other anti-bedbug treatment) on his bunk. Do that for a six month season for three years, and you would need a trowel to remove the accumulation! It is not fair to the hospitalero or other pilgrims to treat someone else's property. Whatever you do, do it at home or outdoors. If you feel the need to use such methods, stay at home.

 

[followtheyellowarrows]

Looks like we may be getting close to the point that the newsworthy post will be when someone finds an albergue that DOESN'T have bedbugs. I do know some owners of private places who have never had an infestation, though, probably partly luck and partly fastidious inspection as part of the regular cleaning process.

The most proactive albergue I encountered on the Frances was Refugio Gaucelmo in Rabanal. They specifically asked all of the pilgrims prior to letting them in the building if they have come in contact with bedbugs. A travel mate of mine did indeed have them from a previous albergue. The hospitaleras took all of her clothing, giving her a temporary set to borrow, let her use a shower in a separate building from the main albergue, washed and dried her clothing in high heat, treated her non washable items with some type of spray and laid them out in the hot sun.

Not only did their actions prevent bedbugs from entering their albergue but they also really helped out my friend. As someone who also came in contact with bedbugs (in Santiago) I can say that there is a big psycological impact of these critters beyond the irritating itching!

 

[Kanga]

Yes, Gaucelmo has an excellent system. Anyone who thinks bedbugs is not an increasing problem just ask the hospitalero there. When I was at Gaucelmo a few weeks ago I watched 20 pilgrims being checked in, and of those, 5 needed the bedbug treatment.

 

[santaremhostel]

Bedbugs is a very important issue as most of time ends on the Albergue or Hostel fault, just because you were bitten.
However, mostly of you have never realise that you are the vehicle in transporting the bugs. While you take a break during the caminho and laydown the backpack on the grass field, where bugs are living, and jump into your backpack. Then, when arriving to the Albergue/Hostel you put your backpack on your bed insteded on the floor away from your bed. Guess what, the caminhobugs becomes bedbugs, and the responsability is the Albergue or Hostel Owners. We at Santarem Hostel are very carefull about this issue and have the concern to remind you to not put the backpack over the bed. Always on the floor. For the last 4 years only one Japonese pilgrim at the check-in time informed us about bugs issue. We have wash all clothes and backpack and dry it at 60º to make sure they all gone. Take it as an example, starting from your own behaviour. Bugs exists everywhere do not be the vehicle transporter.
Bom Caminho

 

[trecile]

While you take a break during the caminho and laydown the backpack on the grass field, where bugs are living, and jump into your backpack.

I agree with most of what you wrote, but bedbugs are not in grass fields.

 

[Saint Mike II]

In relation to "DEET" here in Oz virtually all personal insect repellents have a certain percentage of DEET clearly marked on the ingredients label. Most have between 20 & 40% although I know of one that says 80% (I do not use that one).
As for the precautionary practice of spraying the bunk/bed -its not an overkill spray - just a couple of short sprays around the edges - where the joins meet. So I don't think its going to be a major problem!!

 

[C clearly]

As for the precautionary practice of spraying the bunk/bed -its not an overkill spray - just a couple of short sprays around the edges

I understand that the intent is to flush out hiding bedbugs. Has anyone ever found this effective in this way, and scared a bedbug into the open? If not, then I suggest that you apply the Deet to your exposed skin, as recommended by the manufacturer.

 

[CaminoJoy123]

No - it's not the big modern one....that one is after the descent. It is the hippie-ish one in Foncebadon. I hated that place, but my daughter thought it was so cool. I thought it was dirty and overcrowded.

The one with the teepees?

 

[santaremhostel]

I agree with most of what you wrote, but bedbugs are not in grass fields.

Hi Trecile,
You are correct. But the focus is bugs, and the issue is when get bitten, the first thing you think is bedbugs. Which migth not be true. An ant a spider, etc... can bitte you and they are no bugbeds.

 

[Saint Mike II]

I understand that the intent is to flush out hiding bedbugs. Has anyone ever found this effective in this way, and scared a bedbug into the open? If not, then I suggest that you apply the Deet to your exposed skin, as recommended by the manufacturer.

I received this tip from a fellow Aussie (one who is a moderator here), she has and continues to use this method. I used it in a couple of albergues I was not sure of. I do use the insect repellent as necessary.

 

[C clearly]

I received this tip from a fellow Aussie (one who is a moderator here), she has and continues to use this method. I used it in a couple of albergues I was not sure of. I do use the insect repellent as necessary.

Yes, I have read about this suggestion and agree that this idea has an intuitive appeal. However, I am curious about whether anyone can report that it actually has worked to flush out bugs.

 

[Kanga]

I don't know if it always works, but it did for me on one occasion. It was in a beautiful, new, clean albergue. We closely inspected the bunks and there was no sign of any bedbugs. Used the light spray method and five minutes later, volá, up the wall climbed one solitary adult bedbug. Only one, but that one would have made my life miserable (I'm allergic) and in time would have laid eggs and multiplied. We showed it to the hospitalera who was horrified at it being in her lovely new place, but responded appropriately, fumigating the bed and room.

I don't tend to use the repellent spray any longer, mainly because I don't want to offend others. I do use Deet on myself, and @Saint Mike II I am a fan of the 80% stuff (Bushman's) in a tube - it is a cream and you put just a dab on your palms, rub them together and then rub your palms over the skin you are trying to protect. So much more specific. To me it seems less toxic, even though it is more concentrated. No spray to accidentally ingest. It also smells pleasant.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Black light can help you detect bedbugs and their leavings. You can get a black light flashlight that is quite small and light!

Use a UV flashlight and magnifying glass to inspect each area while combing over everything with an old credit card. These bed bug detection tools will make the job much easier. You should also wear rubber gloves to protect your hands. They will be entering some questionable places and we don't want to spread bed bugs to other areas of the house. If you are certain that your house is infested but find no traces during your search, you can also use a bed bug trap. They are not designed to get rid of an infestation but they will certainly help you to detect any insects trying to make their way into your bed

 

[marilyn van graan]

I don't think I'd be happy if everyone was spraying stinky DEET all around the albergue...

Rather that than bedbugs!!!

 

[marilyn van graan]

True. Say an albergues has 30 beds, and each day each pilgrim sprays DEET or permethrin (or other anti-bedbug treatment) on his bunk. Do that for a six month season for three years, and you would need a trowel to remove the accumulation! It is not fair to the hospitalero or other pilgrims to treat someone else's property. Whatever you do, do it at home or outdoors. If you feel the need to use such methods, stay at home.

How on earth could they treat/spray the bed outdoors and frankly the bed bugs obviously did not travel from home - sorry for this answer but if you have ever been bitten and had reaction to the bites you would seriously have a different mindset - buen camino

 

[Deleted member 3000]

How on earth could they treat/spray the bed outdoors

You cannot, therefore do not spray it at all!!

 

[AlexanderAZ]

Apparently the post I made a few days after this didn't make it past the wonky Wi-Fi I was using. I alerted someone who was a day behind me of this bedbug situation. He did not get my notification until after he arrived and checked in to this very albergue. He promptly repacked his bag and went downstairs to tell the owner he was checking out. The owner adamantly denied having knowledge of any bedbug issue! Folks, bedbugs is one issue but the larger issue is an albergue owner having NO INTEGRITY. This lights me up much more than a bedbug issue.