Bedbug Issues on CF

[tominrm]

I have done 7 walks including three CF, and I had been fortunate that I had not been affected by bedbugs. Now I have my next CF walk scheduled in next April and have heard two of my friends got bitten recently and am a little worried. I understand that as the number of pilgrims increases there would be more incidents with the bugs, but I am wondering if the chances of getting bitten outpaces the rate of increase in pilgrims.
I am getting to the point considering cancel my walk or walk another route. Am I worrying about something unnecessary? Is the vast majority of pilgrims still not affected?

 

[C clearly]

Unfortunately (and as you know) no one on the forum, or elsewhere, can promise you no bedbugs.

Most pilgrims still walk without bedbug issues.

There are precautions you can take to reduce the probability of being bitten and, more importantly, reduce (or almost eliminate) the chance of taking them home. With knowledge of those methods, you can have confidence that you can deal with whatever you encounter.

If you have walked 7 times without incident, you may be non-reactive to bedbug bites.

Good luck!

 

[J Willhaus]

There are bedbugs. While they can be anywhere, they are not everywhere. Only you can decide if the concern will keep you from walking.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@tominrm, you're as likely to get bitten by bed bugs in Chicago, New York, London, Paris or Sydney Australia for that matter.
You can pick them up from a subway journey, or a flight. Even in your local library. In other words: it's a risk we all take, just by leaving home.

According to multiple other posts on this subject walking earlier in the year means less likelyhood of getting bitten rather than later, as the albergue owners have done their best to eradicate them over the winter months.

You've already done seven caminos - I hope you enjoy your eighth.

 

[naplesdon]

You are as likely to get a stomach bug as being bitten by bed bugs.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I too, hate the thought of being bitten by a bed bug or even worse, the possibly of bringing them home, but so far it seems I have not.
In spite of fear or potential annoyances of dealing with them, the "good news" is that they carry NO diseases to my knowledge, which is a comfort to know for my own peace of mind.

 

[dick bird]

April is a relatively safe month - albergues usually fumigate in the winter, so they start the season bug free.

Keep your backpack off the ground if possible, e.g. on an S-hook hanging from the bunk frame or on a chair. Putting it in a big plastic sack is also a good idea.

Put your sleeping gear and clothes in a sealed or knotted plastic bag when you pack in the morning. This to make it easier to debug if you are bitten - you won´t need to debug all your gear.

There are plenty of threads and posts and websites telling you what to do if you get bitten. It is actually unlikely, but it isn´t the end of the world.

One more point, bedbug bites can take a day or two to appear, so don´t assume it was the last place you stayed that had them, but tell the hospitaleros or staff anyway if it happens.

Buen camino.

 

[dreaming]

I bet you can handle yourself if you have done 7 caminos. I inspect the mattress on arrival and don't put my backpack on the bed and have never been bitten. I did leave an albergue with blood stained sheets most probably from bed bugs plus the rest of the albergue was dirty plus dirty blankets. I didn't unpack.

 

[Martin Cole]

Over a dozen different Caminos I have found them in my bed one morning and folding a blanket another morning somewhere different.
They are about, just like mozzies and midgies.
Some skin likes them, some doesn't!!
Don't let it stop you.

 

[t2andreo]

Many hostels and hostels will properly fumigate to exterminate bedbugs during the period they are closed over the winter. This is likely why the incidence of new bedbug reports starts slowly in the Spring, then builds as the weather improves and there is more traffic on the Camino routes.

NaplesDon is correct. The likelihood of being threatened by bedbugs is right up there, with the risk of mosquito bites and lightning strikes.

Don't worry - be happy. Insects have to eat too.

 

[bullingtonce]

I have done 7 walks including three CF, and I had been fortunate that I had not been affected by bedbugs. Now I have my next CF walk scheduled in next April and have heard two of my friends got bitten recently and am a little worried. I understand that as the number of pilgrims increases there would be more incidents with the bugs, but I am wondering if the chances of getting bitten outpaces the rate of increase in pilgrims.
I am getting to the point considering cancel my walk or walk another route. Am I worrying about something unnecessary? Is the vast majority of pilgrims still not affected?

Which has the higher value . . . doing a Camino or dealing with/worrying about bedbugs? Chuck

 

[RRat]

I have done 7 walks including three CF, and I had been fortunate that I had not been affected by bedbugs. Now I have my next CF walk scheduled in next April and have heard two of my friends got bitten recently and am a little worried. I understand that as the number of pilgrims increases there would be more incidents with the bugs, but I am wondering if the chances of getting bitten outpaces the rate of increase in pilgrims.
I am getting to the point considering cancel my walk or walk another route. Am I worrying about something unnecessary? Is the vast majority of pilgrims still not affected?

Mosquito bites do not keep me from fishing. Bed bugs will not keep me from walking the Camino. For me mosquitoes bites are worse. Bed bugs leave a red dot or two but nothing else. Mosquito bites itch and without thinking I will scratch them which can lead to infection.

 

[trecile]

Bed bugs leave a red dot or two but nothing else

That's true for me too, but I have seen pilgrims covered with painful welts because they reacted badly to bed bug bites.

 

[Katriina]

I have done 7 walks including three CF, and I had been fortunate that I had not been affected by bedbugs. Now I have my next CF walk scheduled in next April and have heard two of my friends got bitten recently and am a little worried. I understand that as the number of pilgrims increases there would be more incidents with the bugs, but I am wondering if the chances of getting bitten outpaces the rate of increase in pilgrims.
I am getting to the point considering cancel my walk or walk another route. Am I worrying about something unnecessary? Is the vast majority of pilgrims still not affected?

I have walked several Caminos but I've never seen bedbugs. I check the mattress on arrival, wherever I stay (Albergue, Hostel or Hotel), and I never put my backpack on the bed. Maybe bedbugs don't like me, I don't know.
Keep on walking and be careful!

 

[Mikey - camino]

Bed bugs are now a fact of life on the Camino (or any other hotel). It does not matter if it is a classy hotel or a dump. It depends on who previously stayed there. My suggestion would be not to return home without throwing everything in an commercial dryer (on high) for a min of 1 hour - the longer the better. While bed bugs cause problems during your trip they can cost thousands and thousands to rid your home of them. I am certain that you will run into them even if you don't notice them. That didn't stop me and i was bitten several times.
Have a good Camino my friend.

 

[Madamjoy]

@tominrm, you're as likely to get bitten by bed bugs in Chicago, New York, London, Paris or Sydney Australia for that matter.
You can pick them up from a subway journey, or a flight. Even in your local library. In other words: it's a risk we all take, just by leaving home.

According to multiple other posts on this subject walking earlier in the year means less likelyhood of getting bitten rather than later, as the albergue owners have done their best to eradicate them over the winter months.

You've already done seven caminos - I hope you enjoy your eighth.

I’ve been to Chicago, NY, London etc and never encountered a bed bug but I did meet them on the Camino. You are correct that anyone can meet a bed bug anywhere but the chance of an encounter is higher where there is a transient population in crowded spaces and where the bedding standards are not as exacting as in a London or NY hotel. I think pilgrims should be aware and take precautions to avoid those pesky little mites.

 

[jflorez]

I watch a lot of Camino vlogs on youtube, and the thing that I see so often is people putting their backpacks on beds, whether albergues or private rooms. It drives me crazy. I wish there was a [better] way to impress upon people to NOT do this. But I see it over and over: First thing they do is get to their bed and drop their backpack on the bed. Education and broader message reinforcement is key, but I don't know what the solution is to improving that. More rigorous bedding standards is nice, but a band-aid to the more effective solution of minimizing transference from pilgrim to bedding.

 

[trecile]

where the bedding standards are not as exacting as in a London or NY hotel.

Are you talking about bedding as in sheets and blankets? Most albergue beds have neither on them. And bed bugs generally live in the walls and bed frames, not the mattresses.

But you are absolutely correct that a highly transient population in crowded and shared spaces increases the chances of finding bed bugs.

Last year there were quite a few reports of bed bugs being found on French trains and the metro,

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I think not putting your backpack on the beds is more about cleanliness. The bottom of our packs can be a bit dirty from setting them down outdoors or on a restaurant floor. Bedbugs prefer darkness and hide during the day, so doubt they are crawling on the beds in the afternoon as pilgrims are arriving.

 

[Madamjoy]

Are you talking about bedding as in sheets and blankets? Most albergue beds have neither on them. And bed bugs generally live in the walls and bed frames, not the mattresses.

But you are absolutely correct that a highly transient population in crowded and shared spaces increases the chances of finding bed bugs.

Last year there were quite a few reports of bed bugs being found on French trains and the metro,

Hi Trecile. I include mattresses and blankets. The female lays eggs in mattresses so what starts as a ‘few’ bedbugs can soon become an infestation if the mattress is not sanitized. Re bed bugs on trains and metro in France.. here in Vancouver we had similar problem on public transportation after hosting the Winter Olympics, a situation with crowed conditions and people visiting from every corner of the world. I get a bad reaction to the bugs so I’m a bit hyper vigilant. For me it’s better to assume there is a chance to encounter the bugs so I stay alert snd bring appropriate meds just in case.

 

[Tincatinker]

The obsession of some contributors to this forum with our oldest, as in most ancient, symbiote is getting tiring for me.

Cimex lectularius has been around as long as we have. Nobody died.

Reaction to their bite is unpleasant for some. Most provide that vital food source without even noticing. I’ve no doubt whatsoever that a generation of the little buggers will eventually evolve that do not provoke that histamine reaction in their lunch. After all the reaction provokers are the ones that get broiled, baked and bombarded with the same sorts of chemicals that wipe out pollinators and dung beetles and other useful stuff.

It might be helpful if responses to yet another “BED BUG” post focussed on avoidance strategies but even then me posting “avoid the Albergue Municipal in Logrono if you happen to be there in early April 2013” isn’t going to change the universe and neither is “someone got bitten somewhere, somewhen….”

Just set your time-machine to: “not then”.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

The best is when someone comes into the Albergue, covered with nasty red bumps, and they say "the mosquitoes are really bad here..." Instant 5 steps back and then like, "um, those aren't mosquitoes." Like I've seen them on arms, feet, and one poor girl's face. 3 at a time, they call it "breakfast, lunch, and dinner." I've been bit 3 times myself, but that is on over 500 nights of the camino. I don't really worry about it.

 

[Damien Reynolds]

Here is what to look out for when approaching your chosen night destination... this is only based on personal experience.

1) there are beds and mattresses out in the sun when you arrive. Maybe a sleeping bag or two also on the clotheslines.

2) they have this weird rule where you can't take your backpack up to your bedroom, "leave it downstairs" said in French.

In this case it's always better to have a top bunk. The people below can see them traveling, or at least serve as buffer zones.

3) when leaving the Albergue at 4 am down the hill towards Molinaseca and Ponferrada, pay no attention to the man with hands wrapped around his face saying, "we are ruined. We only had 1 week more to be open."

Bastarda knew they were infected.

 

[KDub]

That's true for me too, but I have seen pilgrims covered with painful welts because they reacted badly to bed bug bites.

That was me last year. I made a stop at the local Centro de Salud for round one of treatment, but I was still very unwell by the time I reached Santiago. I ended up at the hospital for another round of antibiotics and steroids and cream. When I arrived back home I went to my local urgent care and after a third round of medication I finally started feeling better.

It has not deterred me from walking again, but I definitely bring more allergic response stuff in my first aid kit now just in case.

YMMV

 

[domigee]

Bed bugs leave a red dot or two but nothing else.

It isn’t the same for everybody. I happen to react quite strongly to bed bug bites, sadly and so do many other people. Others don’t even know they were bitten!
This said, I have walked many, many kilometers on the Caminos and only encountered bed bugs twice. Once on the Camino francés and once on the Aragonés. That’s it.
If you are bitten and have a bad reaction, go to a farmacia, they’ll give you antihistamines.
The key is not to bring them home, that’s the most important. Search the forum for more details. (Basically, put everything in a hot dryer! Or a chest freezer once at home if you have one).
Don’t let it put you off, as others have said, you could come into contact with them ANYWHERE.

 

[dreaming]

I was bitten in a hostel private room in an Asian country. My back was covered with a hundred bites. I was given antihistamines and cortisone cream by the chemist. It took a week to recover from the itching. I spend more on accommodation now and think it works despite bedbugs being in hotels.

 

[Virginia G.]

I have done 7 walks including three CF, and I had been fortunate that I had not been affected by bedbugs. Now I have my next CF walk scheduled in next April and have heard two of my friends got bitten recently and am a little worried. I understand that as the number of pilgrims increases there would be more incidents with the bugs, but I am wondering if the chances of getting bitten outpaces the rate of increase in pilgrims.
I am getting to the point considering cancel my walk or walk another route. Am I worrying about something unnecessary? Is the vast majority of pilgrims still not affected?

I was also creeped out by the prospect of encountering bedbugs! But I was very encouraged to read that they tend to be more dormant during the cooler months. So, aside from the endless fields of wild flowers, dormant bedbugs is another good reason to hike in April! Like others have said, we can never guarantee whether or not you'll run into these critters. But this seems less likely in April than in the hotter months.
I've walked the CF twice, both times in May & June, and never met a bedbug. Fingers crossed that your 8th Camino will also be bedbug free! Buen Camino!

 

[RonBenfield]

I watch a lot of Camino vlogs on youtube, and the thing that I see so often is people putting their backpacks on beds, whether albergues or private rooms. It drives me crazy. I wish there was a [better] way to impress upon people to NOT do this. But I see it over and over: First thing they do is get to their bed and drop their backpack on the bed. Education and broader message reinforcement is key, but I don't know what the solution is to improving that. More rigorous bedding standards is nice, but a band-aid to the more effective solution of minimizing transference from pilgrim to bedding.

Forgive my ignorance here, but what does putting backpack on the bed do?

 

[dick bird]

Forgive my ignorance here, but what does putting backpack on the bed do?

Makes the bed dirty. But more importantly, bedbugs reputedly often cling to or climb in backpacks. It also seriously annoys hospitaleros who, rightly or wrongly, have rules about not putting backpacks on beds, so another reason not to do it. I am sure our fellow members can come up with a few more.

 

[Joynz]

Mosquito bites do not keep me from fishing. Bed bugs will not keep me from walking the Camino. For me mosquitoes bites are worse. Bed bugs leave a red dot or two but nothing else. Mosquito bites itch and without thinking I will scratch them which can lead to infection.

You are clearly not reactive to bed bug bites! Last year (after the Camino when I was in Athens) I got badly bitten and became covered in many hundreds of bites - mostly on toes, feet, legs, fingers, hands, arms, back. They started like a pinprick but swelled to become huge welts. Some blistered and the itching was horrendous for all. I also felt physically unwell. Antihistamines and topical cortisone didn’t help. Back home my Dr prescribed two types of pills. Even then, it took 2 weeks for the bites to recede!

 

[t2andreo]

That's true for me too, but I have seen pilgrims covered with painful welts because they reacted badly to bed bug bites.

I always recommend an over-the-counter antihistamine cream or tablet, from a farmacia, to ward off itchy symptoms. It usually works. I travel with a supply of Cetirizine for this purpose.

Curiously, my blood type is such that most biting insects avoid me. If they don't bite me, I won't squish them. We seem to have this informal detente.

Hope this helps.

Tom

 

[jflorez]

Forgive my ignorance here, but what does putting backpack on the bed do?

It's [just] a hypothesis: Bed bugs can't travel long distances on their own, such as albergue to albergue; thus, they must have done so by "hitching a ride" on some sort of convenient transport medium like a pilgrim or their accoutrements, e.g., a backpack. Conventional wisdom has been to not put your backpack on the bed. It has seemed like a reasonable hypothesis to me. Aside from the cleanliness issue, IF, unbeknownst to you, you happen to be the daily bedbug express, don't help the buggers by placing the backpack on the bed. (Let's make them work for the prize of our precious blood by having to disembark the pack and climb the post).

Aside: I have yet to encounter bed bugs, or I have, and they weren't impressed.

 

[C clearly]

Forgive my ignorance here, but what does putting backpack on the bed do?

As @dick bird says, it can transfer dirt.

Let's make them work for the prize of our precious blood by having to disembark the pack and climb the post

I can appreciate the sentiment! However, I doubt that it is a significant factor in reducing bedbug infestations. They can run quite fast when they want! Besides, if they're smart, they will be waiting comfortably in your sleeping bag.