Bed bug infestation in France

[Bothydave]

Per Sky News France and particularly Paris is in the throws of a massive bed bug infestation.
The country is trying unsuccessfully to bring the situation under control prior to large sporting events to be held in the country.
How does this effect the Camino?
Clearly the bugs travel with people and pilgrims travelling from France, even if only having a lay over in Paris have the potential to carry the insects to their destinations in preparation for the Camino.
No doubt over the next few weeks the delightful parasites will be a point for discussion, scratching or pharmacy advice. If evident Pilgrims should consider treating their kit with repellent and carrying some so that they can treat gear while on the road.

 

[good_old_shoes]

The gites in France seem to manage the problem well. I found them to be much more open to dealing with the problem than many albergues in Spain.

In many french gites you are not allowed to bring your backpack to the sleeping areas, for example, or it will be sprayed and put in a large garbage bag before you can bring it with you. I've even seen a place that checked pilgrims sleeping bags for signs of infestation before allowing them to use it. One place offered me free laundry service because of suspicious bites on me (might have been mosquitos, because I often slept outside too, but better be safe than sorry).

In the gites I saw flyers and posters that explained the problem quite often.

I would bet that the problem in Paris ist not a new one, and the city is simply afraid of getting bad reviews after the sports event, so only now something is being done... but, better late than never!

 

[JesperK]

Well people are still not careful. I still see people putting their backpacks on the beds. Not checking the beds or panels closeby. I stayed at a hotel in molinaseca just 2 weeks ago and lifting the bedblanket saw 3 bugs hiding. Disgusting - grabbed my bag and was out faster than you can say hfjæflydly.

 

[Pafayac]

For the time being, I have heard about Paris (Mayor Anne Hidalgo do like animals), but the rest of France seems not be infested.
Please:
- Do not take your shoes inside dorms
- Do not put your backpack on the beds. However, in France, many gites have a room to leave backpacks in with plastic boxes in order to bring what you need for the night.
Remember that bed bugs do not book accomodations: if they are here, they have been brought by pilgrims...

 

[truenorthpilgrm]

In many french gites you are not allowed to bring your backpack to the sleeping areas

Can confirm gîtes in France being more stringent re bedbugs.

At the abbey in Conques, before you even entered reception, they had you put your pack in a (pre-treated with permenthin) heavy duty plastic bag. This was one of the few places that allowed packs in the room. Otherwise upon check in, one received a little cubby box where one loaded up valuable and necessities for the evening.

 

[hikentravel1234]

Well people are still not careful. I still see people putting their backpacks on the beds. Not checking the beds or panels closeby. I stayed at a hotel in molinaseca just 2 weeks ago and lifting the bedblanket saw 3 bugs hiding. Disgusting - grabbed my bag and was out faster than you can say hfjæflydly.

Did you tell the hotel why you were leaving? I hope so.

 

[Samantha77]

Well people are still not careful. I still see people putting their backpacks on the beds. Not checking the beds or panels closeby. I stayed at a hotel in molinaseca just 2 weeks ago and lifting the bedblanket saw 3 bugs hiding. Disgusting - grabbed my bag and was out faster than you can say hfjæflydly.

I'm wondering what the difference is between putting a sleeping bag on the bed that is carried in your rucksack compared to placing your rucksack on the bed? Genuine question for my own information.

 

[C clearly]

I'm wondering what the difference is between putting a sleeping bag on the bed that is carried in your rucksack compared to placing your rucksack on the bed? Genuine question for my own information.

I think the first reason not to put your back pack on the bed is basic cleanliness. Your pack has been placed on the ground, floors, etc., and is not very clean. Bedbugs might have come out at night and then hidden in external folds of your pack, for a ride to the next albergue. However, if so, they are perfectly capable of climbing up on the bed without your assistance.

So I don't think the bedbug reason makes much sense as the reason for not putting your pack on the bed. You shouldn't do that, but for general cleanliness reasons.

ADDED: It could be argued that all measures might help a bit if they reduce the number of bed bugs in the room where they get their nourishment. However, the most effective measures need to be based on a real understanding of bedbug science.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Sprayed my backpack inside and out, my silk liner and my sleeping bag with permethrin last week. Today they get a dose of Picaridin. I start traveling to my next Camino Monday. Permethrin has been standard for me for years. I recently added Picaridin after reading other bed bug comments in threads here. Pilgrims around me in albergues have been bitten but I haven't. Hope my luck holds. And yes, I may be one who gets bitten but has no reaction. Mosquitos "bug" me but I don't react. We have a few billion where I live. Ok, trillion. Buen Camino

 

[WayWalker]

Per Sky News France and particularly Paris is in the throws of a massive bed bug infestation.
The country is trying unsuccessfully to bring the situation under control prior to large sporting events to be held in the country.
How does this effect the Camino?
Clearly the bugs travel with people and pilgrims travelling from France, even if only having a lay over in Paris have the potential to carry the insects to their destinations in preparation for the Camino.
No doubt over the next few weeks the delightful parasites will be a point for discussion, scratching or pharmacy advice. If evident Pilgrims should consider treating their kit with repellent and carrying some so that they can treat gear while on the road.

I have been in Southern France hiking the Podiensis and have not seen or had a problem. Most gites take great care to have you separate from your shoes and packs and some don't allow your sleeping bags or liners as they provide sheets. I have been bit by bugs on other caminos in Spain so they do like me but again, no issues thus far in Southern France.

 

[jpwu]

I'm wondering what the difference is between putting a sleeping bag on the bed that is carried in your rucksack compared to placing your rucksack on the bed? Genuine question for my own information.

I thought just the same.

 

[carolannie]

I have had to cut short my Camino soon after starting it, because the place I stayed in near Samos was riddled with biting insects, which the spanish call chinches, and the english call bed bugs, and I have an allergic reaction to them. In these days of Covid awareness the risk of disease transmission is obvious and that's a worry too.
Please be warned the place is called O Chalecino, also called La Casa de tu Vida, in Teiguin, a few kilometers from Samos on the LU633 heading towards Sarria.
Booking.com tells me it couldn't care less, so I won't be be trusting them again ever.
I hope to return one day for a successful Camino, in the meantime I will keep an eye on this site, which I had only just discovered, and enjoy the Camino in virtual mode by reading all your stories.
Buen Camino!

 

[Mananath]

I think the first reason not to put your back pack on the bed is basic cleanliness. Your pack has been placed on the ground, floors, etc., and is not very clean. Bedbugs might have come out at night and then hidden in external folds of your pack, for a ride to the next albergue. However, if so, they are perfectly capable of climbing up on the bed without your assistance.

So I don't think the bedbug reason makes much sense as the reason for not putting your pack on the bed. You shouldn't do that, but for general cleanliness reasons.

ADDED: It could be argued that all measures might help a bit if they reduce the number of bed bugs in the room where they get their nourishment. However, the most effective measures need to be based on a real understanding of bedbug science.

My worry with leaving a backpack on the bed is that preexisting bugs in the bed can climb into my pack and then I transport them wherever. If my pack is kept away from the bed there is less chance of a bedbug having contact with my bag. Why would it travel across the room when my perfectly warm body is closer?

 

[C clearly]

My worry with leaving a backpack on the bed is that preexisting bugs in the bed can climb into my pack and then I transport them wherever. If my pack is kept away from the bed there is less chance of a bedbug having contact with my bag.

The bed bugs are as likely (or more) to be hiding in crevices in the walls or floors, than they are to be hiding under the covers, especially if the covers have been replaced each day. Further, bed bugs tend to hide during the day - they are not likely to come crawling out of the bed or crevices to get into your pack during the day even when you plunk it on the bed. (Keeping your pack on the bed at night, near your sleeping body, might be a higher risk.) In any case, your pack should not be on the bed, for reasons of cleanliness

I think the best protection for your backpack is to enclose it in a bedbug-proof bag at night. In the morning, pack your contaminated sleeping things in another bag within your pack while you walk the next day, so the bugs cannot escape into your bag. If you don't start itching while walking, you are probably OK. If you do start itching, you need to debug, and you can focus on the bag of contaminated stuff.

All of this is just a matter of reducing the probability of bedbugs getting into your bag, while finding some methods that are not be too onerous or obsessive while you are trying to enjoy the Camino.

 

[Kanga]

This could be the answer. Some of these might actually be useful.

 

[C clearly]

Booking.com tells me it couldn't care less, so I won't be be trusting them again ever.

Welcome to the forum! Sorry to hear that you had a bad reaction.

The booking agency doesn't really have a role - they do not inspect or license the facilities. Since you are new to the forum, you might want to read some of the many posts about bedbugs (click on the tag at the top of the thread under the title of this thread.

Probably most albergues and hostales along the Camino Frances occasionally get bedbugs and they are usually quick to respond, if they are informed. Of course, that is too late for you, but it is important for other pilgrims who follow. It is pilgrims who carry them from lodging to lodging, and there is a fresh group of pilgrims (and potentially, bugs) every day.

Happy reading, and quick healing!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Whilst all of the above is definitely relevant I think we're kind of missing one very important point .
The BBC report I watched specified that the problem wasn't just confined to accommodation (eg private houses and hotels etc) but was actually also very widespread on public transport - that is buses and trains. So if you put your bag on or lean it against the seat as many of us do, you could inadvertently collect one or two of the little critters.
Let alone of course on your actual person.......
Apparently the city was in "active discussion with the Transport operators" ..
Whatever that means!

Incidentally @Samantha77 and @Mananath , if you've treated the inside of your pack, your sleeping bag etc should be fine. The treatment actually takes several hours before it kills them. Which of course they will have as you walk from one albergue to the next. On the other hand, brief exposure to the outside of a treated pack is not really going to do much, if anything according to information on numerous other threads on here.

 

[Sheesh]

On CNN this morning: "Video shows bedbugs crawling over seats on Paris metro"

https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2023/10/02/exp-france-bell-pkg-100212a-seg3-cnni-world.cnn

 

[Pafayac]

Bedbug eradication will be offered as a demonstration sport at the Olympics.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@Sheesh Good video, thanks. Hadn’t realise that they were in the airport too - missed that.
Definitely NOT going to be a destination/ stopover for me in the next little while…..

 

[peregrino_tom]

Bag transport is an interesting one. The van driver goes from albergue to albergue and town to town, putting (squeezing?) all the bags together in the back of the van. Then who knows what happens until a couple of hours later when they are redistributed to a different set of albergues in different towns. Might be something to look at more closely if there's a Paris style infestation on the camino.

 

[Kanga]

Bag transport is an interesting one. The van driver goes from albergue to albergue and town to town, putting (squeezing?) all the bags together in the back of the van. Then who knows what happens until a couple of hours later when they are redistributed to a different set of albergues in different towns. Might be something to look at more closely if there's a Paris style infestation on the camino.

I know from friends in the accommodation industry that this can be a problem when transporting linen to and from commerical laundries. They now have to take extra measures to protect the clean linen or use separate vans to either pickup or deliver.