Buses and bed bugs

[adesmar123]

Hello all,

I finished my Camino in June 2012 and it is an experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere else. I am so happy to have found Rick Steves travel segment on northern Spain. For those interested in the Camino he gives 10 minute summary of the journey.

When I finished my Camino, I took an overnight bus from Santiago de Compostela to Madrid for a flight home to the US. I managed to avoid bedbugs on the Camino. I was very ecstatic about that. I saw first hand how some people react physically ( and psychologically ) to them.

But alas I did encounter the little critters on the overnight bus ride to Madrid. Has anyone else experienced this? Is it general knowledge that this might be an exposure?

Buen Camino y buenos dias

Alan

 

[vagabondette]

You can be exposed anywhere. That's why they're becoming such a problem in big cities, particularly where lots of people use mass transit.

In those situations it's almost impossible to tell in advance if there will be a problem or not so you just have to roll the dice.

 

[viajero]

I always worry about putting my luggage in the luggage hold on buses, airplanes, etc. as I fear that's where the little devils can get into my things. Unless you see the actual bed bugs (which I have) it is often hard to tell where the bug are/where you were when you got bitten. My bites usually don't itch or swell up until well into the afternoon after being bitten the night before.

 

[MCVet]

Fun thing to read as i sit at the cafe in the estacion de autobuses

Oh well, if they get me they get me.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I travelled all night on a bus from Santiago to Irun and never got bitten. Be brave McVet- and best wishes for the 're-entry' home again!
Margaret

 

[MCVet]

In Madrid now. No problems aside from people talking on their cellphones at 2 AM on a crowded bus. It would've been justifiable homicide.

 

[skilsaw]

No problems aside from people talking on their cellphones at 2 AM on a crowded bus. It would've been justifiable homicide.

Why do some Spanish people stand close and shreik at each other? Same thing for talking on the phone? No phone etiquette. I have been at a table where a person made and received half a dozen phone calls during dinner. Nothing to say except "I am in Palas de Rei, and having a great time."

As for bed bugs...I understand the little beggars can live for up to 18 months without a meal, so putting my clothes, sleeping bag, etc in a closet just doesn't eliminate them.

Lindane, in body lotion and shampoo is available by prescription in Canada and kills scabies and lice. My guess is it would kill bed bugs on your body, but how would a pilgrim kill them on their clothes and in their sleeping bag?. I wonder if "flea powder" available for cats and dogs, or the kind you sprinkle on the rug, would kill bed bugs?

Permethrin, used as a long term bed bug repellant on clothing and bedding, is not available in Canada...

Between increased travel around the world, and reduced use of pesticides, insects like fleas, lice, crabs and bed bugs are on the increase, and are finding their way into first class hotels. I don't see any easy answers.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

In Madrid now. No problems aside from people talking on their cellphones at 2 AM on a crowded bus. It would've been justifiable homicide.

I ended up on a very full night bus travelling across the north of Spain to Irun, but right across the aisle from me was a Frenchwoman who had also just finished walking the Camino. About 1am someone climbed on the bus and had a loud cellphone convo- very loud. But lots of the Spanish people on the bus managed to enter into Dreamland, and the snoring was quite something. It was worse than being in an albergue for the night. All the pilgrim across the aisle and I could do was laugh as we both stayed firmly awake. I think we both had fondly imagined our nights of listening to snorers were over and done with- but we were quite wrong!
Margaret

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The bed bug life span seems to be almost a year without feeding.

Dr. Stephen A. Kells, Assistant Professor
Jeff Hahn, Extension Professor
Department Entomology
University of Minnesota

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius, have resurged to quickly become a very important pest of the 21st century, as they invade numerous urban areas. Our society has had a 30+ year "vacation" from this pest, when bed bugs were almost completely removed from North America as a result of mass treatments with older types of insecticides (DDT, Chlordane, Lindane). Recently though, bed bugs have found ample opportunity to increase in numbers and spread through society. Their success is a result of a combination of factors: increased travel of people; improved treatment methods that specifically target other insect pests (and thus not impact bed bugs); and the lack of public awareness. In addition to homes and hotels, bed bugs are also being found in schools, retail facilities, office buildings, libraries, and other public areas.
Why are they important?

Bed bugs are parasites that feed on the blood of people, using these blood meals to grow and reproduce. They do not distinguish between dirty or clean homes and all people are vulnerable to infestations in their homes. Bed bugs are also capable of feeding on animals, including dogs, cats, and other pets.

They live close to areas where people typically sleep, rest, or sit for long periods. Hungry bugs will move out from their hiding places, in search of exposed skin. Typically, the head and neck are bitten, but bed bugs will also bite bare arms, hands, and legs. When searching for a place to feed, these bugs can move very quickly. Once an appropriate site is found, they feed for 2-5 minutes until full, and then move quickly away from the person and into a hiding place.

In addition to bed bugs moving towards a person when they are least likely to notice the insects, the result of their bites may also go unnoticed, or can be mistaken for the bites of other pests. All people are not equally sensitive to bed bug bites, so while some victims break out in rashes from the bites, other people may not display symptoms. When a reaction does occur, the results of feeding can be mild (a simple red spot) to severe (rash or even hives). The reactions caused by feeding might be mistaken for other problems. Fleas, mosquitoes and other biting insects, sensitization to detergents and soaps, and irritants (e.g., poison ivy) are some of the conditions victims of bed bugs thought they were dealing with.

Bed bugs are not known to transmit disease to people. They have been discovered to harbor 28 different human pathogens, but fortunately, the transmission of these diseases to people has not been demonstrated.

What do they look like?

Adult bed bugs are oval, flattened, brown, and wingless insects approximately 1/4" to 3/8" long (5-9 mm). They are similar in appearance to a wood tick. After the bug has taken a blood meal, its color will change from brown to purplish-red. Also after feeding, it is larger and more cigar-shaped making it appear like a different insect. Young bed bugs are much smaller, 1/16" (1.6 mm) when they first hatch, and nearly colorless except after feeding, but resemble the adult in general shape. You may also find cast skins, which are empty shells of bugs as they grow from one stage to the next. After a blood meal, bed bugs deposit fecal spots (composed of digested blood) in areas adjacent to the feeding site or back at their hiding places.

What is their life cycle?

Bed bugs are active at night and generally hide during the day. After mating, females lay white, oval eggs (1/16-inch long) into cracks and crevices. An individual bed bug can lay 200-250 eggs in her lifetime. The eggs hatch in about 6-10 days and the newly emerged bed bug nymphs seek a blood meal. Immature nymphs molt five times (i.e., they shed their outer exoskeleton in order to grow) before reaching adulthood. They need to feed at least once before each molt, although they could feed as often as once a day. There may be three or more generations per year. All ages are found in a reproducing population. Immature bed bugs may live for several months without feeding while adults may survive as long as one year without a meal. Under normal circumstances, adult bed bugs will live for about ten to eleven months.

 

[fraluchi]

As for bed bugs... how would a pilgrim kill them on their clothes and in their sleeping bag?. I wonder if "flea powder" available for cats and dogs, or the kind you sprinkle on the rug, would kill bed bugs?

I've noticed that people from Korea, who delight on garlic in extreme quantities, have less chances of getting bitten by these bugs. I have no scientific proof :wink: