Are bed bugs a current problem?

[Laura Olsen]

Hello all,

I am planning a camino trip in early October (my first). Does anybody know whether bed bugs a big problem this year? I react very strongly to their bites and need serious medication when bitten, so would be nice to know how worried/prepared I should be.

Also if I bring a small mosquito pop up tent for beds, will that be allowed at the albergues?

I plann to travel for SJPP and for 14 days (then we'll see how far that will take me).

All knowledge is received with gratitude.

Thanks, Laura

 

[SYates]

Bed bugs are a reality on the Camino(s) since at least 2004 (and historically also in the medieval ages). A mosquito net would be allowed in albergues without problems, not sure if it would be practical to pop up in a bunk bed. Also considered that the bugs can still bite through the mesh if your body touches it. You can try Permethrin for prevention/as repellent, it might or might not work always. Also keep your ear on the ground about recent bed bug (chinches) occurrences in the comment section of the main Spanish albergue websites Gronze and Eroski.
Buen Camino sin chinches, SY

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I react very strongly to their bites and need serious medication when bitten, so would be nice to know how worried/prepared I should be.

Worrying a little or a lot isn't going to change the situation. Read a lot. Prepare for a couple of days of bad times and with luck and vigilance you won't have them.

 

[Mark Lee]

Bedbugs are not a problem on the Camino Frances.
No precautions necessary besides choosing albergues wisely
(cleanliness, etc).
Walk without fear of bedbugs. Most pilgrims do. Don’t look at this forum as representative of all pilgrim’s experiences.
Cheers and ultreia.

 

[JeepsNRoses]

Hello all,

I am planning a camino trip in early October (my first). Does anybody know whether bed bugs a big problem this year? I react very strongly to their bites and need serious medication when bitten, so would be nice to know how worried/prepared I should be.

Also if I bring a small mosquito pop up tent for beds, will that be allowed at the albergues?

I plann to travel for SJPP and for 14 days (then we'll see how far that will take me).

All knowledge is received with gratitude.

Thanks, Laura

If the mosquito net is for mosquitos you can keep them at bay by taking vitamin B1 for several weeks prior to and during your trip. Travel docs my dive partner and I received for our trip to Fiji said to take 1mcg per pound of body weight daily for 2-3 weeks prior to the trip. We tried it & while everyone else was spraying themselves with deet & still getting bit we didn't even notice mosquitos. We rode to a secluded beach picnic in the back of the open air transport seeing black clouds of what we thought were gnats & while the dive master fanned & swatted at a cloud of them at the beach we asked what they were. We were shocked to learn they were clouds of mosquitos. Both of us are normally mosquito magnets, but neither of us got a single bite & we never used any repellent. They didn't even fly near us. I give it to my dogs here in Houston to keep mosquitos and fleas away.

 

[Kanga]

Bedbugs are walking the Camino Frances, along with the pilgrims. I encountered them twice on my last walk in May, both times in spotless albergues. I am allergic to their bites so do what I can to avoid them, but I was still bitten. So yes, they are a problem.

 

[SYates]

Bedbugs are not a problem on the Camino Frances.
No precautions necessary besides choosing albergues wisely
(cleanliness, etc).
Walk without fear of bedbugs. Most pilgrims do. Don’t look at this forum as representative of all pilgrim’s experiences.
Cheers and ultreia.

I am sorry, but stating that 'bed bugs are not a problem on the Camino Frances' is simply not true. If you would have said 'bed bugs have never been a problem for me on the Camino Frances' that would have been more accurate. It is equally bad to create a sense of panic as to create a false sense of security. Let's just stay on the middle ground and say: "Bed bugs are a reality on the CF and here is what you can do to cope with them the best possible way ..."

Buen Camino, SY

 

[Determined lass]

That's really interesting about B1!I've been bitten quite a few times, despite taken all precautions and my fellow pilgrims escaping unscathed. However, I am low in B12, so maybe I am in B1 as well and this is the reason they like me so much! I will definitely try this.

 

[Camino2010]

I started walking the Camino Frances (sorry, cannot find accents or other fancy punctuation on this keyboard, haha) this year on July 24 and just finished up yesterday in Muxia on August 24! Now am relaxing in Fisterra for a couple of days. I got munched by bed bugs the first night in Saint Jean. I felt them pinching me in the night but after arriving at the pilgrim's office at 10:15pm to register, and getting to the albergue at 10:30pm (after more than 24 hours of travel to get that far), I was too exhausted to move. Thankfully it seems I was the only person who got bitten in the room that night (it was a private place above a bar, new to me). Also thankfully, because I was so tired, I hadn't taken out my sleeping bag, but just slept on top of the mattress (hurray!). The next day I walked to Roncesvalles and took care of washing my clothes there.

Various people got bitten in various places along the way during that last week of July and the week of August. I got a couple more bites in a different town (can't remember which right now but it doesn't really matter because bed bugs can pop up pretty much anywhere, especially if transported from one albergue to the next by unaware pilgrims), but for the most part it was pretty much completely bedbug-free for me. One of my friends got bitten at a fancy hotel he booked in Leon, so they're not limited to albergues (which I already knew from past Caminos).

My reaction is not overly strong. I did have the bites for about 12 days but they weren't overly itchy. However, if you react strongly there are various medications at the farmacias which can help. I react more strongly to mosquito bites, perhaps because the species are different than those I grew up with in Canada. I don't know, but I have a couple of big welts on my arm today from mosquito bites I got in Olveiroa a couple of days ago.

The first two times I walked the Camino were in mid-September to the end of October and I didn't encounter any mosquitoes either time. Also, I think the incidence of bed bugs is less at that time of the year, but that could have changed since 2010 and 2011 since more people seem to walk at that time of year now than did then. If you have a silk sleeping bag liner that will be an extra barrier. And you know best what you need in terms of medications.

If you do encounter bed bugs, please tell the hospitalero. Don't be like the brand new pilgrim I met this year who panicked and fled the albergue in the middle of the night, leaving his friend to try and explain the next morning where he'd gone and why he wanted a refund (especially when it turned out to be most likely that he'd brought the bed bugs in his bag from the place he'd stayed the night before).

Also, please don't put your backpack on the beds in any place you stay (you might already know that, sorry if it's repeat information but I saw people putting their bags on the beds in a couple of places along the way this year).

I wish you a happy bug-free (except for the cute friendly bugs like butterflies and ladybugs) Camino!!!

Rachel

 

[Jakke]

I started walking the Camino Frances (sorry, cannot find accents or other fancy punctuation on this keyboard, haha) this year on July 24 and just finished up yesterday in Muxia on August 24! Now am relaxing in Fisterra for a couple of days. I got munched by bed bugs the first night in Saint Jean. I felt them pinching me in the night but after arriving at the pilgrim's office at 10:15pm to register, and getting to the albergue at 10:30pm (after more than 24 hours of travel to get that far), I was too exhausted to move. Thankfully it seems I was the only person who got bitten in the room that night (it was a private place above a bar, new to me). Also thankfully, because I was so tired, I hadn't taken out my sleeping bag, but just slept on top of the mattress (hurray!). The next day I walked to Roncesvalles and took care of washing my clothes there.

Various people got bitten in various places along the way during that last week of July and the week of August. I got a couple more bites in a different town (can't remember which right now but it doesn't really matter because bed bugs can pop up pretty much anywhere, especially if transported from one albergue to the next by unaware pilgrims), but for the most part it was pretty much completely bedbug-free for me. One of my friends got bitten at a fancy hotel he booked in Leon, so they're not limited to albergues (which I already knew from past Caminos).

My reaction is not overly strong. I did have the bites for about 12 days but they weren't overly itchy. However, if you react strongly there are various medications at the farmacias which can help. I react more strongly to mosquito bites, perhaps because the species are different than those I grew up with in Canada. I don't know, but I have a couple of big welts on my arm today from mosquito bites I got in Olveiroa a couple of days ago.

The first two times I walked the Camino were in mid-September to the end of October and I didn't encounter any mosquitoes either time. Also, I think the incidence of bed bugs is less at that time of the year, but that could have changed since 2010 and 2011 since more people seem to walk at that time of year now than did then. If you have a silk sleeping bag liner that will be an extra barrier. And you know best what you need in terms of medications.

If you do encounter bed bugs, please tell the hospitalero. Don't be like the brand new pilgrim I met this year who panicked and fled the albergue in the middle of the night, leaving his friend to try and explain the next morning where he'd gone and why he wanted a refund (especially when it turned out to be most likely that he'd brought the bed bugs in his bag from the place he'd stayed the night before).

Also, please don't put your backpack on the beds in any place you stay (you might already know that, sorry if it's repeat information but I saw people putting their bags on the beds in a couple of places along the way this year).

I wish you a happy bug-free (except for the cute friendly bugs like butterflies and ladybugs) Camino!!!
Rachel

Thanks, Camino2010!
The advice to not use your own bag is new to me (I am in the planning stage). How can that work in practice if the night is cold and you do not have extra covers? Would a hospitalero object to the pilgrim spraying the mattress and sheets against bed bugs?

 

[Laura Olsen]

Thank you so much. I will bring a small insect net and emergency medication and hope for the best.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

From ABC News:

Vitamin B: Can vitamin B tablets make you a less tasty treat to the biting menaces? Probably not.
Though some people swear by it, Conlon said that in double-blind studies, the vitamin continues to come up short.
When researchers at the University of Wisconsin asked volunteers to take placebos or capsules with vitamin B, they did not find any evidence that the substance could help reduce mosquito attraction.


Be careful of post hoc, ergo sum hoc protection from bedbugs (or mosquitos). Go with the science, not the anecdote. You don't get attacked by elephants on the Camino when you carry trekking poles, therefore trekking poles repel elephants...

For years Skin So Soft had a reputation as a mosquito repellent. Then it was evaluated scientifically. It did not work. So Skin So Soft has added a mosquito repellent, and voila, it now works! It contains picaridin, which works against mosquitoes. It also works against ticks, flies, and chiggers. It has not been shown to work against bed bugs, but who knows? You may want to try it instead of DEET (which just ate some varnish off my table when the plastic bag the bottle was in leaked a bit). You will be experimenting on yourself, but it is likely to be more effective than vitamin B.

 

[Mark Lee]

Again, to any prospective pilgrims out there reading this, remember this forum represents only a very small percentage of pilgrims that walk the Camino every year. It's a mistake to use their experiences as a measuring stick for all Caminos. I can say that while on the Caminos I have walked I heard almost no discussion of bedbugs. Yeah, a couple of instances here and there of people spraying their beds, a couple of instances of false alarms, but overall it was almost never mentioned. It's just not an issue or concern for most pilgrims. Sure, nobody wants to get bitten by them, but I never saw it really being obsessed about. Better to be concerned with where the best place to get a pilgrim's menu is, or what kind of wine you like best.
ultreia

 

[purplesage]

Bed bugs are a reality on the Camino(s) since 2014. A mosquito net would be allowed in albergues without problems, not sure if it would be practical to pop up in a bunk bed. Also considered that the bugs can still bite through the mesh if your body touches it. You can try Permethrin for prevention/as repellent, it might or might not work always. Also keep your ear on the ground about recent bed bug (chinches) occurrences in the comment section of the main Spanish albergue websites Gronze and Eroski.
Buen Camino sin chinches, SY

Well said, SY

 

[Deleted member 34316]

Bed bugs are a reality on the Camino(s) since 2014

Hi, am I missing something important from the history of the Camino?
Was there some famous Bed Bug Uprising in 2014?
Where did it take place and were there many casualties among the pilgrims?

 

[JeepsNRoses]

From ABC News:

Vitamin B: Can vitamin B tablets make you a less tasty treat to the biting menaces? Probably not.
Though some people swear by it, Conlon said that in double-blind studies, the vitamin continues to come up short.
When researchers at the University of Wisconsin asked volunteers to take placebos or capsules with vitamin B, they did not find any evidence that the substance could help reduce mosquito attraction.


Be careful of post hoc, ergo sum hoc protection from bedbugs (or mosquitos). Go with the science, not the anecdote. You don't get attacked by elephants on the Camino when you carry trekking poles, therefore trekking poles repel elephants...

For years Skin So Soft had a reputation as a mosquito repellent. Then it was evaluated scientifically. It did not work. So Skin So Soft has added a mosquito repellent, and voila, it now works! It contains picaridin, which works against mosquitoes. It also works against ticks, flies, and chiggers. It has not been shown to work against bed bugs, but who knows? You may want to try it instead of DEET (which just ate some varnish off my table when the plastic bag the bottle was in leaked a bit). You will be experimenting on yourself, but it is likely to be more effective than vitamin B.

Specifically B1 (not a general B combination) works for at least two of us against mosquitos. It is definitely cumulative, i.e., takes daily dose for 2-3 weeks to start being effective & then continued use, but it definitely works for us. I happen to think that a mosquito sweet meat living in New Orleans & Houston bite free is proof enough for me to perpetuate the anecdote. I begin taking it when I get the first bite of the season or when night time temps are above 50. Leaving it there & taking my B1 to Spain.

 

[SYates]

Hi, am I missing something important from the history of the Camino?
Was there some famous Bed Bug Uprising in 2014?
Where did it take place and were there many casualties among the pilgrims?

Lol, thanks for catching that typo - it should have read (at least) 2004, that was when the first reports of the problems emerged. Before ~2004 bed bugs were more of an anecdotal event. Original post now edited, thanks again and Buen Camino sin chinches, SY

 

[Charles Johnson]

Greetings

Having completed the Camino Frances in July of this year, I can tell you that I was bite free for the entire trip, including a Paris hostel.

Don't worry!!
Buen Camino

 

[JuliaM]

Hi!
This year in July, only once. Badly. Somewhere after Ponferrada..
To mention that from a group of four, I was the only one affected.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

it definitely works for us.

I hear you. I would not argue against your first hand experience for your choices. However, even the guy who makes money from selling B1 admits that he has not been able to prove its effectiveness in studies since the 1960's:
From WebMD:
In the last few years, nonchemical repellents worn as skin patches and containing thiamine (vitamin B1) have arrived in some big-box stores under the name Don’t Bite Me! The science behind this repellent comes from a study done in the 1960s. It showed that thiamine (B1) produces a skin odor female mosquitoes don't like. But no other studies have confirmed thiamine's effectiveness as a mosquito repellent when worn on the skin. Chari Kauffmann, president of the company that sells skin patch called Don’t Bite Me!, says studies on the product are ongoing, though the company has no conclusions to report.

 

[Hiawatha]

Interestingly studies from the early 1980's showed a definitive and measurable link between the consumption of bananas and increased risk of mosquito bites . Eliminate bananas from your diet for some time prior to travelling to prone areas to reduce bite risks . It appears there is a correlation between Ethylene gas and mosquito attraction , Ethylene gas is also produced by ripening apples and other fruits , not having these in your pack might also help .

 

[domigee]

Hi!
This year in July, only once. Badly. Somewhere after Ponferrada..
To mention that from a group of four, I was the only one affected. View attachment 28696

I feel for you Julia and I hope all is OK now.

Had I known there would be such dismissive comments, like 'there aren't any', 'don't worry', I too would have taken pics of my bites ...

To new pilgrims on this forum, I can only say : don't worry unduly but please be aware, read what you can do against them and especially how not to bring them home.

No, I wasn't bitten this time but I saw and talked to plenty of people who were, yes, this year (mid-july to mid-August). Some didn't even know they were bb bites - just like me the 1st time.

I think it does help to be informed but maybe that's just me

I wish you all a bed bug free Camino.

 

[FionaClarke]

Bedbugs are my biggest camino fear. I am very very allergic to their bites - big taut blisters that split under the pressure of the fluid emerging from my skin, and a strong histamine reaction that feels like the start of flu. It has taken me a week for the blisters on my feet to heal enough that I could wear shoes; it took about 3 years for the scars on my face to fade.

Facing those fears rationally has been an interesting learning experience for me. I realised I was close to irrational panic about it so I decided to treat it like any issue on a risk register at work: "probability - low; impact - very high".

To minimise the risk occurring I've educated myself on how to spot them and I'm bringing a permethrin treated mesh undersheet and a small container of Deet for my feet, hands and face. I know that there are differing views on the effectiveness of these, but knowing I've done the best I can (at the cost of about £10 and 200g extra pack weight) has done a lot to settle my fears.

To manage the impact I'm bringing anti-histamine tablets and a tube of Ivarest cream. It is amazing stuff - I bring it back from Canada & USA - and I use it on mosquito bites which also raise blisters. It's a mixture of anti-histamine, local anaesthetic and calamine lotion and it forms a protective skin on top of the blister (or the supurating pit left after the blister bursts) It is sold as a poison ivy remedy (and since we don't have that plant in UK it makes sense that the remedy isn't imported). But I can strongly recommend it to any North American pilgrims .

And that is all I can do. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. And let go of the worry now that I have done all I can.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I know that there are differing views on the effectiveness of these

Differing OPINIONS, not differing SCIENCE. The science has shown that permethrin is an effective insecticide and, perhaps, a repellent. The science has shown that DEET is an effective repellent. You have chosen a wise course of action -- prevention and treatment. Buen camino.

 

[Laura Olsen]

Bedbugs are my biggest camino fear. I am very very allergic to their bites - big taut blisters that split under the pressure of the fluid emerging from my skin, and a strong histamine reaction that feels like the start of flu. It has taken me a week for the blisters on my feet to heal enough that I could wear shoes; it took about 3 years for the scars on my face to fade.

Facing those fears rationally has been an interesting learning experience for me. I realised I was close to irrational panic about it so I decided to treat it like any issue on a risk register at work: "probability - low; impact - very high".

To minimise the risk occurring I've educated myself on how to spot them and I'm bringing a permethrin treated mesh undersheet and a small container of Deet for my feet, hands and face. I know that there are differing views on the effectiveness of these, but knowing I've done the best I can (at the cost of about £10 and 200g extra pack weight) has done a lot to settle my fears.

To manage the impact I'm bringing anti-histamine tablets and a tube of Ivarest cream. It is amazing stuff - I bring it back from Canada & USA - and I use it on mosquito bites which also raise blisters. It's a mixture of anti-histamine, local anaesthetic and calamine lotion and it forms a protective skin on top of the blister (or the supurating pit left after the blister bursts) It is sold as a poison ivy remedy (and since we don't have that plant in UK it makes sense that the remedy isn't imported). But I can strongly recommend it to any North American pilgrims .

And that is all I can do. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. And let go of the worry now that I have done all I can.

That is exactly where I am. I had a horrible experience in 2007 where I had no less than 150 bites in one night (Oh yes I counted them) somewhere in Andalusia. My body had an extreme allergic reaction due to the number of bites and I was treated with Prednizolon for 5 months. I still have a series of silvery scars on my arms as a souvenir. I am trying to be rational about it and not give in to the fear. I am planning to bring a small pop up tent that is made to pop up on a bed (and to look carefully for signs). This will probably make me look fairly ridiculous at night, but I think I will make me sleep better just knowing. Also I am trying to think of every precaution that can prevent me from taking them with me home.

Taking all these precautions make me think less about it, so even if I do not meet a single bb, I will feel much better and be able to concentrate on the camino itself...

 

[JeepsNRoses]

I hear you. I would not argue against your first hand experience for your choices. However, even the guy who makes money from selling B1 admits that he has not been able to prove its effectiveness in studies since the 1960's:
From WebMD:
In the last few years, nonchemical repellents worn as skin patches and containing thiamine (vitamin B1) have arrived in some big-box stores under the name Don’t Bite Me! The science behind this repellent comes from a study done in the 1960s. It showed that thiamine (B1) produces a skin odor female mosquitoes don't like. But no other studies have confirmed thiamine's effectiveness as a mosquito repellent when worn on the skin. Chari Kauffmann, president of the company that sells skin patch called Don’t Bite Me!, says studies on the product are ongoing, though the company has no conclusions to report.

Never considered wearing it on the skin as an option and doubt I would. Perhaps we happen to have the ideal body chemistry for it to work for us. Three Maltese dogs, one with a serious allergic reaction to mosquito bites, over the past 12 years have enjoyed the results as well. It's curious that it was in travel docs from two different agencies (for Fiji in '96 & for Kenya in 2001). My choice will always be to opt for natural solutions first over chemicals. Thanks for sharing the various study results, Falcon. Seems that delivery method and dose could also be factors based on my positive experience vs. the study results.

 

[JeepsNRoses]

I am planning to bring a small pop up tent that is made to pop up on a bed...

Laura, you have me curious about your tent. Do you have a link?

I hope your combination plan works well for you. Will be wishing you a stress free bite free Camino!

 

[C clearly]

Had I known there would be such dismissive comments, like 'there aren't any', 'don't worry', I too would have taken pics of my bites ...

I had posted a couple of times in the last few days, on my bedbug management techniques. However, I was beginning to feel like an idiot, was getting tired of being confronted by the bedbug deniers and was questioning whether my detailed advice was helpful or just frightening. I deleted my posts and swore to stay off the topic! It lasted 24 hours!

@Laura Olsen and @FionaClarke - Send me a PM if you would like to read about the methods I've worked out for myself.

I decided to treat it like any issue on a risk register at work: "probability - low; impact - very high".

My experience is that the probability of encountering bedbugs on the Camino Frances over 800 km is not low.

For the uninitiated, here is a "bullous" reaction on my foot, along with several mild reactions. I'm pretty sure they are bedbug bites!

 

[SYates]

... However, I was beginning to feel like an idiot, was getting tired of being confronted by the bedbug deniers and was questioning whether my detailed advice was helpful or just frightening. I deleted my posts and swore to stay off the topic! It lasted 24 hours! ...

And leaving us all alone on the bed-bug-battle field !!! What a Camino friend are you ???? JUST KIDDING!!!! @C clearly and I have met and we do understand each others sense of humour

Please don't stop sharing your experiences! Buen Camino sin chinches, SY

 

[C clearly]

And leaving us all alone on the bed-bug-battle field !!! What a Camino friend are you ???? JUST KIDDING!!!!

I will be Doña Quixote fighting bedbugs and their deniers.

 

[SYates]

And I will be your Sancho Panza! Off to the molinos de los chinches we go!!! SY

 

[dougfitz]

It's a mistake to use their experiences as a measuring stick for all Caminos.

Mark, you couldn't have put it better. Your individual experience of not having been bitten by bed bugs is not a useful measuring stick at all, and it would be a mistake to heed your advice on this matter.

 

[bunnymac]

Hello all,

I am planning a camino trip in early October (my first). Does anybody know whether bed bugs a big problem this year? I react very strongly to their bites and need serious medication when bitten, so would be nice to know how worried/prepared I should be.

Also if I bring a small mosquito pop up tent for beds, will that be allowed at the albergues?

I plann to travel for SJPP and for 14 days (then we'll see how far that will take me).

All knowledge is received with gratitude.

Thanks, Laura

I"m cuurently on the Camino Frances. I have come accross 2 incidences. One at St Jean and another after Ponferrada. We have treated our packs & sleeping bags with citronell and tea tree oil. So far we"re clear. Fingers crossed.

 

[dougfitz]

I"m cuurently on the Camino Frances. I have come accross 2 incidences. One at St Jean and another after Ponferrada. We have treated our packs & sleeping bags with citronell and tea tree oil. So far we"re clear. Fingers crossed.

Clearly the finger crossing is working well!

 

[Mark Lee]

Mark, you couldn't have put it better. Your individual experience of not having been bitten by bed bugs is not a useful measuring stick at all, and it would be a mistake to heed your advice on this matter.

Good point, but nonetheless walking the CF, or any of the other routes with such frivolous concerns such as the ever so slight possibility of getting bitten by an insect is a mistake.

 

[SYates]

... We have treated our packs & sleeping bags with citronell and tea tree oil. So far we"re clear. Fingers crossed.

Sorry to break it to you but neither method/aromatic oil has any scientific proof to work. Boil them or freeze them. Or if they are still not resistant to permethrin, poison them - bed bugs are resistent little buggers! Don't risk to spread them or to take them home! Buen Camino sin chinches, SY

 

[C clearly]

Good point, but nonetheless walking the CF, or any of the other routes with such frivolous concerns such as the ever so slight possibility of getting bitten by an insect is a mistake.

This statement is a meaningless and impossible-to-refute putdown.

 

[dougfitz]

Good point, but nonetheless walking the CF, or any of the other routes with such frivolous concerns such as the ever so slight possibility of getting bitten by an insect is a mistake.

Mark, like you, I have managed to walk the CF twice and other routes without being bitten. I know others who have the same experience, but also have a godson who spent a couple of days in hospital his reaction to bedbug bites was so severe. Taking precautions is sensible. Panicking at the sight of every small insect is not, particularly if you see them active during the daytime.

 

[Mark Lee]

This statement is a meaningless and impossible-to-refute putdown.

I'm laughing at how seriously and strongly the subject of bedbugs is discussed on this forum. The staunch and serious defense of their presence along the Camino. Dammit! They are there. They are a threat. ha ha

 

[Laura Olsen]

Laura, you have me curious about your tent. Do you have a link?

I hope your combination plan works well for you. Will be wishing you a stress free bite free Camino!

I have set my heart on this one:

http://www.subzerostore.co.uk/healt...repellent-treated-pop-up-mosquito-net-single/

I hope it works. I plan to not put it around madras but on top. My sleeping bag should prevent bites on my legs and the dome should keep them away from my arms and face. At least I hope so.

And a bug-free camino to you too

 

[Laura Olsen]

Good point, but nonetheless walking the CF, or any of the other routes with such frivolous concerns such as the ever so slight possibility of getting bitten by an insect is a mistake.

It sort of depends on how you react to an insect bite. If your body does not react then I completely understand your point. But last time I was bitten by bed bugs I spent two months too ill to work and had to take prednizolon for months afterwards (which is not a good thing at all). So in my case it is not just a mosquito bite (which is only itchy and annoying) and hence I can not just shrug it off as just a small insect bite.

 

[Jakke]

I had posted a couple of times in the last few days, on my bedbug management techniques. However, I was beginning to feel like an idiot, was getting tired of being confronted by the bedbug deniers and was questioning whether my detailed advice was helpful or just frightening. I deleted my posts and swore to stay off the topic! It lasted 24 hours!

@Laura Olsen and @FionaClarke - Send me a PM if you would like to read about the methods I've worked out for myself.


My experience is that the probability of encountering bedbugs on the Camino Frances over 800 km is not low.

For the uninitiated, here is a "bullous" reaction on my foot, along with several mild reactions. I'm pretty sure they are bedbug bites!

Ok, and how about the Camino Portugues, anybody?
Realism is important and panic is bad. Realism for me, though, has been three stays in the hospital because of related allergies

 

[C clearly]

I have set my heart on this one:
http://www.subzerostore.co.uk/healt...repellent-treated-pop-up-mosquito-net-single/
I hope it works. I plan to not put it around mattress but on top. My sleeping bag should prevent bites on my legs and the dome should keep them away from my arms and face. At least I hope so.
And a bug-free camino to you too

Here is one that seems to be smaller, fully encloses the sleeping bag, and sits on top of the mattress. However, it isn't free-standing so you'd need an upper bunk to hang it from, and you'd still need Deet on exposed skin.
https://www.wayfair.ca/Mosquito-Net-705-706-ZHW1295.html?source=hotdeals

 

[Louise2016]

I work with the mentally ill and homeless people in the San Francisco area so we have had a lot of experience with bed bugs. I have even been to trainings on them, because it costs about $1,200 per room to get rid of them here if one of our clients brings them into a shelter or home. My husband and I did the Camino in June/July this year and did not see any bed bugs. I check the mattresses at each place we stay. If you look at the ridge of the mattress, where it is sewn together, you will find either bed bugs or the remains of old bed bugs or little blood marks. Just do that when you first enter a room. Many of the beds on the Camino have coverings so that you can't see underneath to the mattress. But that is OK, because you will see the bugs if they are there anyway. They like to hide in crevasses. We stayed mostly at pensions on our trip, but I still checked there. Had one scare, but it was only because the hotel needed to clean it mattresses better - didn't find any bugs, just pieces of dirt and lint. I did get a spider bite on the Camino, but we never saw any bed bugs. Here is a website that tell you how to check for bed bugs. I don't think you have to do such an extensive search, but it is helpful. http://m.wikihow.com/Check-for-Bedbugs

 

[C clearly]

how to check for bed bugs

Checking is an essential step. However, most albergues and hostales are very clean, and you won't likely find evidence of bad/longstanding infestations. The bedbugs that do bite are those few that have arrived with pilgrims between disinfections. And they seem to like some people more than others.

 

[queen of the desert]

From ABC News:

Vitamin B: Can vitamin B tablets make you a less tasty treat to the biting menaces? Probably not.
Though some people swear by it, Conlon said that in double-blind studies, the vitamin continues to come up short.
When researchers at the University of Wisconsin asked volunteers to take placebos or capsules with vitamin B, they did not find any evidence that the substance could help reduce mosquito attraction.


Be careful of post hoc, ergo sum hoc protection from bedbugs (or mosquitos). Go with the science, not the anecdote. You don't get attacked by elephants on the Camino when you carry trekking poles, therefore trekking poles repel elephants...

For years Skin So Soft had a reputation as a mosquito repellent. Then it was evaluated scientifically. It did not work. So Skin So Soft has added a mosquito repellent, and voila, it now works! It contains picaridin, which works against mosquitoes. It also works against ticks, flies, and chiggers. It has not been shown to work against bed bugs, but who knows? You may want to try it instead of DEET (which just ate some varnish off my table when the plastic bag the bottle was in leaked a bit). You will be experimenting on yourself, but it is likely to be more effective than vitamin B.

 

[queen of the desert]

Vitamin B - placebo or not... It works!
Lived in west Africa for many years. In first 9 months got malaria x3 then started taking high doses of vit B. Protected from mosquito bites for years till I got slack taking vitB - oops malaria again!
Walked CF twice - so far never experienced bed bugs. Walking CP sept/October - let's see but will think positive !

 

[VNwalking]

I'm laughing at how seriously and strongly the subject of bedbugs is discussed on this forum.

I don't really respond to bedbug bites much. But others do, sometimes dramatically (as @C clearly and @dougfitz have said).
So of course the subject is discussed, and seriously. For some it's a serious concern and not a laughing matter.

 

[Camino2010]

Thanks, Camino2010!
The advice to not use your own bag is new to me (I am in the planning stage). How can that work in practice if the night is cold and you do not have extra covers? Would a hospitalero object to the pilgrim spraying the mattress and sheets against bed bugs?

Hi Jakke,

I see it's been a week since you asked your question so I hope you're still checking in! I was finishing my Camino when you asked and it was challenging to get online long enough to answer properly.

I definitely had my sleeping bag and liner with me, I always do. And it's required at some (if not most) albergues to have at least a sleeping bag liner with you. But the night I arrived in SJPP it was quite warm and I was exhausted, as I wrote, so I more or less just collapsed onto the mattress hoping to get as much sleep as possible before getting up to walk 6.5 hours later.

However, I experimented with leaving my sleeping bag in my pack on about seven or eight nights this year, mostly in the Xunta albergues towards the end (but also as early as Burgos) where pilgrims are issued the white disposable paper mattress and pillow cover. How did it work in practice when the night was cold and I did not have extra covers? Well, I felt cold. (I'm giggling at myself right now, not laughing at you!) I refused to use any blankets this year after putting the one in SJPP over my feet (I suspect that was a vector for the bed bugs to get to me), though I know there are many albergues that have clean blankets so I wouldn't want to give the impression that every albergue blanket is evil.

On three or four of the nights, including in Olveiroa and Fisterra at the end, I waited to find out how long it would be before I felt too cold, which turned into me getting my sleeping bag out at about 2:30am. (I kept it beside me on top of the mattress, in easy reach; the nights when I didn't need to get it out made it easier and quicker to pack up for an early start in the morning -- yes, I'm a nutty pilgrim who gets up before the sun sometimes and I do my best to be silent as I pack up so as not to wake other pilgrims around me, and if my sleeping bag is already put away, that's one less object to think about getting out of the room without making noise). I also found that sleeping with my fleece jacket over me was enough on more than one night to keep me warm. It was a fun game to play.

I'm not sure how hospitaleros feel about pilgrims spraying the mattress and sheets against bed bugs. As someone who's experienced serious reactions to chemicals in the past, it gives me the chills and I cringe when I see pilgrims with big spray cans of heaven knows what that they picked up at the farmacia, spraying it all over the place (this has happened to me more than once), and I invite pilgrims to consider that not everyone appreciates being exposed to permethrin or DEET or what have you. But I've spritzed the mattress cover and/or my sleeping bag when it's on the bed with lavender oil before (not the mattress itself).

I didn't come across any more bed bugs this year besides the ones I wrote about in my first post, and I was later able to check in with two other people who slept in the same room as me that first night in SJPP, and neither of them got bitten. I consider that as the pilgrim on her 5th Camino that night, I took one for the team.

I hope that helps, at least a little!

Rachel

 

[Jakke]

Hi Jakke,

I see it's been a week since you asked your question so I hope you're still checking in! I was finishing my Camino when you asked and it was challenging to get online long enough to answer properly.

I definitely had my sleeping bag and liner with me, I always do. And it's required at some (if not most) albergues to have at least a sleeping bag liner with you. But the night I arrived in SJPP it was quite warm and I was exhausted, as I wrote, so I more or less just collapsed onto the mattress hoping to get as much sleep as possible before getting up to walk 6.5 hours later.

However, I experimented with leaving my sleeping bag in my pack on about seven or eight nights this year, mostly in the Xunta albergues towards the end (but also as early as Burgos) where pilgrims are issued the white disposable paper mattress and pillow cover. How did it work in practice when the night was cold and I did not have extra covers? Well, I felt cold. (I'm giggling at myself right now, not laughing at you!) I refused to use any blankets this year after putting the one in SJPP over my feet (I suspect that was a vector for the bed bugs to get to me), though I know there are many albergues that have clean blankets so I wouldn't want to give the impression that every albergue blanket is evil.

On three or four of the nights, including in Olveiroa and Fisterra at the end, I waited to find out how long it would be before I felt too cold, which turned into me getting my sleeping bag out at about 2:30am. (I kept it beside me on top of the mattress, in easy reach; the nights when I didn't need to get it out made it easier and quicker to pack up for an early start in the morning -- yes, I'm a nutty pilgrim who gets up before the sun sometimes and I do my best to be silent as I pack up so as not to wake other pilgrims around me, and if my sleeping bag is already put away, that's one less object to think about getting out of the room without making noise). I also found that sleeping with my fleece jacket over me was enough on more than one night to keep me warm. It was a fun game to play.

I'm not sure how hospitaleros feel about pilgrims spraying the mattress and sheets against bed bugs. As someone who's experienced serious reactions to chemicals in the past, it gives me the chills and I cringe when I see pilgrims with big spray cans of heaven knows what that they picked up at the farmacia, spraying it all over the place (this has happened to me more than once), and I invite pilgrims to consider that not everyone appreciates being exposed to permethrin or DEET or what have you. But I've spritzed the mattress cover and/or my sleeping bag when it's on the bed with lavender oil before (not the mattress itself).

I didn't come across any more bed bugs this year besides the ones I wrote about in my first post, and I was later able to check in with two other people who slept in the same room as me that first night in SJPP, and neither of them got bitten. I consider that as the pilgrim on her 5th Camino that night, I took one for the team.

I hope that helps, at least a little!

Rachel

Thanks, Rachel, for taking the time to answer my question. I guess the hospitalero has to trust pilgrims with their bags that have been in other places just as much as the pilgrim will have to trust the hospitalero's mattress. Right: chemicals can be as problematic as bugs. I'll just take my chances and see how far I can get without being bitten. Bom caminho!

 

[julianne kalam]

I have encountered some for the first time in Torres Del Rio and am letting them know. I woke up and saw one crawling on the bed beside me...wasn't very nice to wake up to. I then saw I a few more. I really hope it's the first and last time I see them. The other places so far have seemed great.

 

[Dancing Rain]

When I was researching bedbugs, after being affected by them while walking the Camino Frances last year, I came across the perspective that people with more body hair, usually men, are less likely to get bitten by bedbugs. Maybe that is a pertinent factor in people's views and experiences?

 

[Albertagirl]

I am in Mazarife, where a young woman said to me that she had been bitten by bedbugs at the municipal Albergue in Leon a couple of days ago. I spent the same night as she did, or possibly the night before, in the same Albergue. Her response was to move into a hotel, then she arrived the next, last night, in San Anton de Padua, where we both are now. As far as I know, she has done nothing to control the probable bedbugs in her own clothing and gear, but just complains about the staff at the municipal at Leon. I feel so helpless. I have spoken to her about hot dryers, but she doesn't seem to take this seriously. Last year, I was not able to stay here at the end of October because it was closed for "an infestation". I would like to be able to warn the manager here, especially as it was cool last night and most of us were using the Albergue blankets. If she leaves before I do and I find out where she slept, I may tell him. And I shall be keeping my eyes open in case I get anything that looks like a bite.

 

[Kanga]

I feel for you @Albertagirl. A simply horrid social situation. If she is about can you tell her that you will be going to the hospitaleros to tell them she has been bitten? In theory we should all be brave enough but I'm not sure how I would behave.

 

[Albertagirl]

I feel for you @Albertagirl. A simply horrid social situation. If she is about can you tell her that you will be going to the hospitaleros to tell them she has been bitten? In theory we should all be brave enough but I'm not sure how I would behave.

@Kanga
I did the best I could with both the young woman and the manager, with no interest or cooperation from either of them. Now I am at Verde, resting. My sympathy is with the OP, who must deal with serious consequences from bed bug bites. I guess that each of us can only be responsible for taking care of what we are responsible for. It is too bad that indifference to others' welfare can sometimes get in the way.