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Bed Bugs Negreira

GailGwyn

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
part Camino Frances (2013), Part Camino Norte (2014)Camino Frances (2019)Camino Portuguese (2020)
I'm sitting in the municipal albergue in Negreira. No sleep because our dormitory is infested with bed bugs! Put all our stuff, including rucksacks, into a hot dryer. Hoping that's the last we'll see of them. However, one pilgrim is unconcerned about them and hasn't done anything to treat his stuff!! No wonder they spread. Just waiting for daylight so we can leave.
 
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I'm sitting in the municipal albergue in Negreira. No sleep because our dormitory is infested with bed bugs! Put all our stuff, including rucksacks, into a hot dryer. Hoping that's the last we'll see of them. However, one pilgrim is unconcerned about them and hasn't done anything to treat his stuff!! No wonder they spread. Just waiting for daylight so we can leave.
Here's some pics to show the extent of the infestation
 

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Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Is that all from one night? It looks horrendous. Have you got some anti histamines to help with the itching? The albergue must have a very serious infestation.
Yes, just from a couple of hours before I couldn't stand it any longer and other people were waking up due to being bitten. We and another couple took our stuff downstairs to treat it in the dryer.
 
Yes, just from a couple of hours before I couldn't stand it any longer and other people were waking up due to being bitten. We and another couple took our stuff downstairs to treat it in the dryer.
The hospitalera had a plug in by the side of my bed, which she said was for mosquitoes, so initially I thought maybe I'd been bitten by mosquitoes.
 
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I'm sitting in the municipal albergue in Negreira. No sleep because our dormitory is infested with bed bugs! Put all our stuff, including rucksacks, into a hot dryer. Hoping that's the last we'll see of them. However, one pilgrim is unconcerned about them and hasn't done anything to treat his stuff!! No wonder they spread. Just waiting for daylight so we can leave.
Thank goodness for this unconcerned pilgrim as it confirms the nature of human nature. If we didn't have people like this we would not be human and just cattle or sheep. Keep on trucking. Chuck
 
Thank goodness for this unconcerned pilgrim as it confirms the nature of human nature. If we didn't have people like this we would not be human and just cattle or sheep. Keep on trucking. Chuck
That's what you got out of this story? That it's a good thing that some people are inconsiderate and don't use their human brains?
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Here's some pics to show the extent of the infestation
Have you visited a farmacia? I have had a horrible encounter with bedbugs (in Iceland) and know how awful the itchiness is. I thought mine was bad but yours is definitely worse. Amazingly none of the 5 friends I was with found a single bite.

There are creams that help topically as well as taking anti-histamines. I do hope that it all feels a lot better soon and you can complete your camino with no further 'misadventures'.
 
Many people can get bitten and not react at all.

Amen! If you are one of those lucky people who has “never been bitten by a bed bug on a camino,” consider the possibility that you have in fact been bitten but have not had a reaction. When forum members dismiss the bed bug issues by calling us alarmist and telling us how many caminos they’ve walked and never had a problem, I always wonder how they can tell the difference between “never been bitten” and “been bitten but had no reaction.”
 
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Amen! If you are one of those lucky people who has “never been bitten by a bed bug on a camino,” consider the possibility that you have in fact been bitten but have not had a reaction.
I was bitten on my first Camino, but if the bites had not been in a place on my body that I could see, I never would have known as I had not itching or other reaction.

BTW, I was bitten while inside my permethrin treated silk sleep sack. Neither permethrin nor silk will stop a bed bug from crawling in and having a quick bite or three. Permethrin kills bed bugs over a period of several hours contact with the treated surface. Silk has no magical anti-bed bug properties.
 
I was bitten on my first Camino, but if the bites had not been in a place on my body that I could see, I never would have known as I had not itching or other reaction.
And there are some who get no mark at all, so I assume that for them it is totally impossible to know whether they were bitten.

 
Here's some pics to show the extent of the infestation
OMGosh! This is absolutely awful. When I enlarge the picture, the majority definitely look like bites in perfect little circles, and the reddened area on the upper arm looks more inflamed from reaching to scratch them. I've always been a bit paranoid at the possibility of being bitten, but I usually have read they are "usually in groups of about three bites in a row, around or near the neck". @GailGwyn's experience brings it to a whole new level! The only positive here is that I also have read they do not carry any diseases and hope it's fact.
 
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Have you visited a farmacia? I have had a horrible encounter with bedbugs (in Iceland) and know how awful the itchiness is. I thought mine was bad but yours is definitely worse. Amazingly none of the 5 friends I was with found a single bite.

There are creams that help topically as well as taking anti-histamines. I do hope that it all feels a lot better soon and you can complete your camino with no further 'misadventures'.
Thank you. Going to get help and advice tomorrow. No farmacia on the way today. May take a taxi to Cee tomorrow and go to the local hospital for advice. Some of the bites look like they could possibly develop into cellulitis, so may need antibiotics.
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Thank you. Going to get help and advice tomorrow. No farmacia on the way today. May take a taxi to Cee tomorrow and go to the local hospital for advice. Some of the bites look like they could possibly develop into cellulitis, so may need antibiotics.

I think it's a wise idea to go straight to a medical centre, that looks quite a serious bout .. they may need to give you a cortazone injection or something to bring the inflamation down fast and possibly an antibiotic.
 
Thank you. Going to get help and advice tomorrow. No farmacia on the way today. May take a taxi to Cee tomorrow and go to the local hospital for advice. Some of the bites look like they could possibly develop into cellulitis, so may need antibiotics.
When I was bitten on the Invierno, I had bites and a reaction very similar to yours. Not as bad but close and also with welts. I went to a farmacia and was given Suniderma which helped tremendously and quickly to soothe the itching and the welts! I do agree, that with your reaction, you should seek clinic advice asap. Wishing you quick healing @GailGwyn !!

IMG_1465.jpg
 
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I think it's a wise idea to go straight to a medical centre, that looks quite a serious bout .. they may need to give you a cortazone injection or something to bring the inflamation down fast and possibly an antibiotic.
I agree . I would go straight to med center and seek advise about further movements on Camino. Best of luck and speedy recovery.
 
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I agree . I would go straight to med center and seek advise about further movements on Camino. Best of luck and speedy recovery.
Thank you all for your kind words. Yesterday we took a taxi to the hospital in Cee, where I was given anti histamine tablets, Prednisolone and steroid cream. Not quite as itchy today, so all should be ok soon. Also want to say how fantastic the Spanish hospital system is. I was checked in, showing my EHIC card and passport. Within 40 minutes I'd been triaged, examined by a doctor, issued a prescription and was on my way. The prescription cost me 4.5 euros!
 
Thanks for reporting back, I was wondering how you were. I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable soon. What a horrible experience but it's good to hear how well you were treated. I hope you never encounter the wretched little critters again.
 
Get well soon! Just curious if you checked your mattress before bed? I’m starting my first Camino in 10 days so I’m wondering if preventative measures work.
 
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
Get well soon! Just curious if you checked your mattress before bed? I’m starting my first Camino in 10 days so I’m wondering if preventative measures work.
I didn't check it I'm afraid, but I've certainly checked every place we've stayed since! Also, we're booking private rooms now instead of hostels, but I know there's still a chance there could be bed bugs. We've walked 8 Caminos and this is our first experience of bed bugs.
 
ALWAYS check your mattress for blood stains when checking into albergues and then decide if you want to stay there. Since I got attacked by bed bugs on the Portugues last year I also keep my belongings away from the dormitory as a precaution.

So sorry to hear this happened to you; it's awful!
 
I didn't check it I'm afraid, but I've certainly checked every place we've stayed since! Also, we're booking private rooms now instead of hostels, but I know there's still a chance there could be bed bugs. We've walked 8 Caminos and this is our first experience of bed bugs.

With the best will in the world, we can't always check everything.. sometimes we're too exhausted after a tough day, or there's too much of everyone's stuff everywhere to check properly without disturbing others. And no guarantee with private rooms, but probably less likely than in a dorm.

I was severely bitten on the Norte once, I woke up covered in bites. The hospitalero of the private albergue wasn't interested. I stopped in a china shop in the next town and bought a cheap t-shirt and shorts, found a private room, put them on and brought everything, pack and all, to a laundry and threw everything in the dryer. Ruined my crocs, they shrunk two sizes, never to fit me again. At the medical centre I got a cortisone shot and a prescription for cream and anti histamines. It took a few days for the swelling and itching to subside, but what I really remember was the feeling of shame, that I had done something wrong.. quite irrational, really. Since then, and that was six years ago, I've been more careful, and perhaps lucky too.

Sounds like you're over the worst of it, glad it didnt spoil your camino..
 
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.
With the best will in the world, we can't always check everything.. sometimes we're too exhausted after a tough day, or there's too much of everyone's stuff everywhere to check properly without disturbing others. And no guarantee with private rooms, but probably less likely than in a dorm.

I was severely bitten on the Norte once, I woke up covered in bites. The hospitalero of the private albergue wasn't interested. I stopped in a china shop in the next town and bought a cheap t-shirt and shorts, found a private room, put them on and brought everything, pack and all, to a laundry and threw everything in the dryer. Ruined my crocs, they shrunk two sizes, never to fit me again. At the medical centre I got a cortisone shot and a prescription for cream and anti histamines. It took a few days for the swelling and itching to subside, but what I really remember was the feeling of shame, that I had done something wrong.. quite irrational, really. Since then, and that was six years ago, I've been more careful, and perhaps lucky too.

Sounds like you're over the worst of it, glad it didnt spoil your camino..
I totally feel you. The mere mention of bed bugs gets you all kind of looks from people and a lot of pilgrims will rather avoid you than help you deal with it. When I got bitten it took me several days to get over the shame and inform the albergue. I've also heard accounts from many people that got nearly chased away by albergues on mentioning they were suffering from bed bugs and if they could provide assistance.Luckily there also a lot of kind people on the camino that will help you.
I ruined my insoles putting them in the drier. Luckily I had another pair then.
 
ALWAYS check your mattress for blood stains when checking into albergues and then decide if you want to stay there
I've always wondered how useful this is. Couldn't the blood stains be from a prior infestation that has been cleared up? A year or so ago there was a post on the Camigas Facebook group from a distraught peregrina who was using this method and thought that there were active infestations in every albergue she checked.
 
ALWAYS check your mattress for blood stains when checking into albergues and then decide if you want to stay there. Since I got attacked by bed bugs on the Portugues last year I also keep my belongings away from the dormitory as a precaution.

So sorry to hear this happened to you; it's awful!
Thank you. A lot of albergues use the plastic coated mattresses and pillows, so I'm not sure you'd see anything. However, now I'm lifting up mattresses and examining floor edges and walls with my torch before I settle anywhere!

Sorry you got bitten too. Good idea to keep the backpack out of the dorm.

Of note, we went to the tourist information office to collect our Muxiana today. The man working there was horrified and said he would report it straight away. I'm going to make an official complaint to the Cathedral authorities (as advised by the tourist office).
 
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That looks awful!

One thing I've never been able to find out (not that it really matters) is whether each spot indicates one bite, or whether the allergic reaction from a few bites can cause many welts like that. Many people can get bitten and not react at all.
Each bite starts off as a small ‘spot’ - but in people like me they each swell hugely and ‘join up’ into welts!
 
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I had to be prescribed some cortisone tablets for bed bug bites because claratyne and ointment didn’t help reduce the itching or welts at all - and some blisters formed too. Even then, it took two weeks for the welts to recede. (This was in Athens last year - after the Camino, not on it).
 
Each bite starts off as a small ‘spot’ - but in people like me they each swell hugely and ‘join up’ into welts!
I'm fairly sure that each spot represents a single bite. As Joynz says, in some people they swell and join up, particularly if there are so many of them.
 
3rd Edition. Vital content training & pack guides avoid common mistakes, bed bugs etc
So very glad you were seen so quickly. Hope the swelling goes down asap. I can relate as swell up the size of a golf ball from a single mosquito bite, similar to bed bug bites. I was bitten on my back in the donitivo just south of Salamanca on the VdlP and was I ever lucky to have had a new peregrino friend take all my things to a laundromat whilst I sat in a towel in a hotel room. If it's any consolation, that was the only time I was bitten on the 14 Caminos I have walked in Portugal, Spain and Italy. I try to walk the quieter routes.
 
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So very glad you were seen so quickly. Hope the swelling goes down asap. I can relate as swell up the size of a golf ball from a single mosquito bite, similar to bed bug bites. I was bitten on my back in the donitivo just south of Salamanca on the VdlP and was I ever lucky to have had a new peregrino friend take all my things to a laundromat whilst I sat in a towel in a hotel room. If it's any consolation, that was the only time I was bitten on the 14 Caminos I have walked in Portugal, Spain and Italy. I try to walk the quieter routes.
Thank you. Glad you got someone to help you. We're off to begin walking the Camino Ingles tomorrow. Just hope we don't encounter bed bugs again anywhere.
 

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