Bed bugs at Refugio Ave Fénix in Villafranca Oct 19, 2013

[jirit]

My wife is reporting that she had come down with bed bug bites again - twice on the same camino.

A woman who stayed at the Refugio Ave Fenix in Villafranca reported seeing there and then getting bed bugs herself. This woman along with others reported getting bed bugs at the same albergue.

She reported it to the hospitalero who seemed indifferent about it and was not interested in doing something.

To make matters worse, the same woman then stayed at the albergue in La Faba sleeping nearby my wife, passing on the bed bugs to my wife and a number of other people, so this albergue is also affected.

Again the hospitalero at Le Faba seemed indifferent about it, when my wife suggested he contact the albergue in Villafranca.

She is now staying outside of Triacastela at a private alberque. My wife has just had her pack and sleeping bag sprayed again and she is hoping to get to Sarria tomorrow to find an albergue whereby she can hot wash and dry all of her clothes - yet again.

My wife is extremely upset and very disappointed about the behaviour of various pilgrims who continue to bring their boots inside, leave their packs on the beds, and generally show complete disregard to others.

After talking to her today via FaceTime, I can almost guarantee that she will not be walking the Camino Frances ever again!

 

[MendiWalker]

Who could blame her?

P.S. - I do hope you has no more encounters with bedbugs or disrespectful peregrinos.

Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It is upsetting when hospitaleros do not actively correct problems. Wish your wife well.

 

[fraluchi]

Bedbugs are indeed creating havoc in many places, and much has been written about the issue on this Forum. Please do check the relevant postings and recommendations.
One way to try and protect oneself against being bitten by these bugs, after having treated your belongings, is to carefully select accommodations, scrutinize mattresses, bedcovers, walls, etc. and decide whether or not you're going to patronize the facilities.
Bedbugs are not inherent to the Camino Francés! One might as well vow to never stay at any New York hotel, where a rampant infections were noted not so long ago.
And as far as hospitaleros of Ave Fenix (Villafranca) and la Faba (which albergue?) are concerned, there is little more one can do but inform them that they may have a problem.

 

[jirit]

It was the german albergue in la Faba

Further footnote and comment from a friend that walked the route back in May. Instead of staying in la Faba she stayed at the albergue Miriam..

"This ties in with my experience at Albergue Miriam just near Le Faba, except it was the opposite. When Miriam looked at my credencial and saw the Ave Fenix stamp, she asked if we had stayed there. I confirmed that we hadn't and she was relieved as there were reports of bedbus (beginning of May). She asked if we had had problems with bedbugs and we hadn't, as she was happy to rid us of the pesky things."

 

[AJ]

Again the hospitalero at Le Faba seemed indifferent about it, when my wife suggested he contact the albergue in Villafranca.

I had the opposite experience at the German albergue in La Faba when I brought bugs there from Ave Fenix in 2011. The hospitalera debugged me and my kit, allowing me to stay an extra night.

 

[jirit]

I had the opposite experience at the German albergue in La Faba when I brought bugs there from Ave Fenix in 2011. The hospitalera debugged me and my kit, allowing me to stay an extra night.

I agree.

Both a friend of my wife and I, and I myself recommended that she stay at la Faba.

When I spoke to her first, she did told me about the bed bugs but she asked me why I thought la Faba was so special. Apparently the evening service in the church next door has been cancelled of a few years already, and none of the hospitaleros were around to assist pilgrims and obviously stop pilgrims from doing things like putting packs on beds, etc. I don't think she was too impressed with the albergue at la Faba.

She called me back later and then updated me on the bed bugs, and the lady that had transported them from albergue to albergue.

Worse the same lady that got bed bugs bites in Villafranca and then went to la Faba is also staying at the same albergue my wife is at tonight. I have no idea if she too has sprayed her pack, gear and sleeping bag but from what I gather she did not.

 

[Bajaracer]

Ave Fenix and the Municipal across the street had an infestation in late July 2013, luckily I got the last bed at Albergue de la Piedra.
Usually the Hospitaleros at La Faba are strict about no backpacks on beds etc. The biggest offenders on backpacks on their beds are the ones doing the last 150km.
I recommend Casa Barbadelo, a few km past Sarria, a nice place to stay and they have a clothes dryer there.

 

[jirit]

Ave Fenix and the Municipal across the street had an infestation in late July 2013, luckily I got the last bed at Albergue de la Piedra.
Usually the Hospitaleros at La Faba are strict about no backpacks on beds etc. The biggest offenders on backpacks on their beds are the ones doing the last 150km.
I recommend Casa Barbadelo, a few km past Sarria, a nice place to stay and they have a clothes dryer there.

Thanks for the information. I have emailed her with the details.

 

[Caplen]

This doesn't surprise me about Ave Fenix. I stayed there 12 and 13 years ago, and the place - and Jesus the hospitalero - are full of character. And he is a bit of a hard-headed, crazy man. I remember some very spirited conversations with him (he did not approve of my vegetarianism at the communal meal, or of me taking the non-roadwalking route solo to O Cebreiro in the snow the next day). It was definitely a memorable refugio.

But yeah, even 12 years later, I can totally see him shrugging off any bedbug complaints. Too bad. Neat place otherwise.

 

[Bozzie]

My wife is reporting that she had come down with bed bug bites again - twice on the same camino.

A woman who stayed at the Refugio Ave Fenix in Villafranca reported seeing there and then getting bed bugs herself. This woman along with others reported getting bed bugs at the same albergue.

She reported it to the hospitalero who seemed indifferent about it and was not interested in doing something.

To make matters worse, the same woman then stayed at the albergue in La Faba sleeping nearby my wife, passing on the bed bugs to my wife and a number of other people, so this albergue is also affected.

Again the hospitalero at Le Faba seemed indifferent about it, when my wife suggested he contact the albergue in Villafranca.

She is now staying outside of Triacastela at a private alberque. My wife has just had her pack and sleeping bag sprayed again and she is hoping to get to Sarria tomorrow to find an albergue whereby she can hot wash and dry all of her clothes - yet again.

My wife is extremely upset and very disappointed about the behaviour of various pilgrims who continue to bring their boots inside, leave their packs on the beds, and generally show complete disregard to others.

After talking to her today via FaceTime, I can almost guarantee that she will not be walking the Camino Frances ever again!

It is sad to think that people are so inconsiderate as to disregard bed bugs and to spread them. It is even sadder that your wife is thinking that she will not walk the Camino Frances, again. The only thing one can do is be vigilant, check the beds and surrounding area, not use the blankets that are at the albergues and be sure to have sprayed the outside of your pack with (groan) permethrin, as well as the outside of your sleeping bag and the protective sheet that you carry to cover the mattress at every stop. I also sprayed the outside of my boots, kept my backpack in a fitted light-weight laundry bag which was also sprayed before my trip inside and out with permethrin. It won't kill bed bugs but definitely repeals them so you don't get bitten. One can't choose for another, but one can protect themselves. I feel badly for your wife...what a terrible hassle. BOO on the pilgrims who are lazy, inconsiderate and really rather disgusting because they spread bed bugs.
Please tell your wife that there are people who are considerate on the camino...and are responsible. She just didn't experience them at two of the places.
Buen Camino...

 

[Bajaracer]

Thanks for the information. I have emailed her with the details.

Casa Barbadelo was the most luxurious albergue I have stayed in, there are no stores in Barbadelo so stock up in Sarria before heading up.

 

[jirit]

Casa Barbadelo was the most luxurious albergue I have stayed in, there are no stores in Barbadelo so stock up in Sarria before heading up.

Tomorrow is Sunday so I am not sure if she will find too many open stores.

But I do understand that the albergue has a cafeteria - ?

 

[Bajaracer]

They do have a cafeteria and a beautiful lounge to relax in the main building, the 8 person rooms have separate en suite W/C and showers for each room, some of the rooms have 2 separate en suite showers.

 

[jirit]

They do have a cafeteria and a beautiful lounge to relax in the main building, the 8 person rooms have separate en suite W/C and showers for each room, some of the rooms have 2 separate en suite showers.

Just what she will need to soothe her soul, repair her feet ( she has been hobbling the past few days with extremely sore feet) and hopefully rid her self of those bed bugs.

Thanks so very much for the suggestion

 

[Anniesantiago]

I have to speak up for Ave Fenix. A couple of years ago I planned on staying there, but found bedbugs, and so reported them. The hospitalera apologized profusely and found us a private house to stay in. But not before explaining that the previous week, Jesus had taken ALL the beds out of the rooms, bombed the rooms, took a BLOWTORCH to the metal frames, bought new mattresses for some beds and sprayed the rest outside, cleaned the rooms completely, then took all the beds back into the now bedbug free albergue. Two days later, a peregrina came through carrying bedbugs and they were infested again.

I know I have complained myself when hospitaleros shrug, but honestly, unless somebody begins vigilantly policing and educating the pilgrims at the BEGINNING of the Camino, I can see how they just get burnt out by this time of year...

Unless EVERYONE works on the problem together, it will continue to get worse...

 

[Caplen]

I have to speak up for Ave Fenix. A couple of years ago I planned on staying there, but found bedbugs, and so reported them. The hospitalera apologized profusely and found us a private house to stay in. But not before explaining that the previous week, Jesus had taken ALL the beds out of the rooms, bombed the rooms, took a BLOWTORCH to the metal frames, bought new mattresses for some beds and sprayed the rest outside, cleaned the rooms completely, then took all the beds back into the now bedbug free albergue. Two days later, a peregrina came through carrying bedbugs and they were infested again.

I know I have complained myself when hospitaleros shrug, but honestly, unless somebody begins vigilantly policing and educating the pilgrims at the BEGINNING of the Camino, I can see how they just get burnt out by this time of year...

Unless EVERYONE works on the problem together, it will continue to get worse...

Ha! That's a great visual - Jesus taking a blowtorch to his beds.....
Yes, that must be very frustrating, a constant battle, often largely out of the hospitalero's control.

 

[SummerthorPilgrim]

My understanding is that "Bedbugs happen". I did the camino in 2011. I started out staying in albergues and switched to private rooms in hostels about halfway through for two reasons: 1) BEDBUGS!!! My albergue friends were getting infested over and over again... no matter how vigilant they were. 2) I could afford the cheap hostels and I decided to leave the albergue beds to those that could not afford anything else.

That being said, I did not personally experience bedbugs, but once home I treated EVERYTHING as if it were infested before I allowed it to pass my doorstep. You do NOT want to chance bringing those things home! EVERYTHING I brought home went in my oven on "warm" for 2 hours. I mean EVERYTHING!

Here's a good article on killing bedbugs with heat:
http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/pdffiles/bb-heat1.pdf

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

My understanding is that "Bedbugs happen". I did the camino in 2011. I started out staying in albergues and switched to private rooms in hostels about halfway through for two reasons: 1) BEDBUGS!!! My albergue friends were getting infested over and over again... no matter how vigilant they were. 2) I could afford the cheap hostels and I decided to leave the albergue beds to those that could not afford anything else.

That being said, I did not personally experience bedbugs, but once home I treated EVERYTHING as if it were infested before I allowed it to pass my doorstep. You do NOT want to chance bringing those things home! EVERYTHING I brought home went in my oven on "warm" for 2 hours. I mean EVERYTHING!

Here's a good article on killing bedbugs with heat:
http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pesticides/pdffiles/bb-heat1.pdf

That is a good article. Thank you!!!

 

[ChristineW67]

I'm hiking my first Camino in June and putting together a kit. I bought a silk liner for my sleeping bag, because I read somewhere that the bedbugs can't or won't breach the silk. True or false?

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

I'm hiking my first Camino in June and putting together a kit. I bought a silk liner for my sleeping bag, because I read somewhere that the bedbugs can't or won't breach the silk. True or false?

Hi Christine, I have not heard that. I do know that the silk liners are comfortable and very light weight. You may want to spray it though. Perhaps others will weigh in on this....

 

[vicrev]

I'm hiking my first Camino in June and putting together a kit. I bought a silk liner for my sleeping bag, because I read somewhere that the bedbugs can't or won't breach the silk. True or false?

False..........Vicrev

 

[ChristineW67]

Bummer... I guess it gets sprayed. Thank you both for replying

 

[jirit]

I think it is important on how not to get bed bugs, by checking your beds, doing certain things like spraying your gear and pack right away if you do get them, etc.

But it is more important on how not give them to others which personally seems to be the bigger issue this year.

Simple things like not bringing your boots into the albergue, not leaving your pack and poles on the bed, etc reduce the chances of giving them to other pilgrims.

So it is two way street, try not to get them from others and try not to give them to others.

 

[AJ]

I'm hiking my first Camino in June and putting together a kit. I bought a silk liner for my sleeping bag, because I read somewhere that the bedbugs can't or won't breach the silk. True or false?

False.

 

[AJ]

But it is more important on how not give them to others which personally seems to be the bigger issue this year.

So how do we dissuade the hitchhikers? When I took them from Ave Fenix to La Faba, I didn't know I had them; I thought my bites were mosquitoes. Incidentally this is the only occasion where I have been bitten and taken the bugs with me. I have ben bitten on several other occasions ( three this year) and NOT taken them with me. Was there any difference in my actions? Yes there was. The time I took hitchers, I was using my sleeping bag. On other occasions I was not. I believe they took up residence in the sleeping bag, because that is where they found food.

 

[jirit]

So how do we dissuade the hitchhikers? When I took them from Ave Fenix to La Faba, I didn't know I had them; I thought my bites were mosquitoes. Incidentally this is the only occasion where I have been bitten and taken the bugs with me. I have ben bitten on several other occasions ( three this year) and NOT taken them with me. Was there any difference in my actions? Yes there was. The time I took hitchers, I was using my sleeping bag. On other occasions I was not. I believe they took up residence in the sleeping bag, because that is where they found food.

I think given the current situation I would treat any bites as bed bug bites first unless clearly you know otherwise.

And if you are walking later in the season, then one should expect a higher probability of bed bugs, though this particular albergue appears to have a history of bed bugs, whereby people reported bed bugs as early as this past May.

With bed bugs I really do not think it matters if you sleep in a sleeping bag or not but I am not an expert on what bed bugs like to hang around in. Best guess if they have made a home on a bunk bed, then you are fair game, sleeping bag or not. I certainly would not want to sleep in a bunk bed if there was evidence that bed bugs were there, again sleeping bag or not.

The problem I have seen more often is people dropping there packs on the bed ( lord knows what else is on those packs ) along with poles, etc and this contributes to the spread of bed bugs. I have also seen way too many albergues where nothing is ever cleaned, that pillows get reused over and over again, blankets tossed on the floor and then folded up and thrown back on the beds again, etc.

So it is a little of both, pilgrims and hospitaleros need to be proactive otherwise the situation will get out of hand.

That's all.

 

[fortview]

As soon as we left the Primitivo at Melide, I met pilgrims with bed bugs! No wonder I picked them up on my pack.... It's a shame that such a tiny minority of pilgrims will read this forum, and heed the advice.
It's certainly made me wary about walking the Frances again. Though not completely put me off

 

[HelenvE]

I've read that if you seal your backpack in a garbage bag and take care not to put it against a wall or on a bed that will reduce the likelihood of becoming a bed bug carrier. I guess that and treating the outside of sleeping bags with permethryn might help? (and not using the albergue's blankets, pillows etc.) We're planning to walk in May 2014, and had understood that bed bugs are less of a problem then than later in the year because of the cold, but maybe that is changing?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Bed bugs do not hide in the blankets and pillows; they dwell in walls and bunk crevices. Naturally, blankets stored on bunks are as likely to harbor a bed bug as any other place on the bunk. I am just saying that blankets and pillows do not draw bed bugs any more than does a sheet.

Hanging your backpack from the bunk corner post will make it more difficult for the bed bugs to enter. They go where there is blood to suck, so are not drawn to climb ropes. You will need a carabiner or cord loop to hang the backpack on some bunks. On some, the hoist loop will fit over the top.

Permethrin helps. A garbage bag helps, particularly if the alternative is putting your pack on the floor! Bed bugs will wander around items stored on the floor looking for a place to spend the night.

Bed bugs will be active by May, but early in the season they are less likely to have been transported between albergues. By September, if one albergue has had bed bugs, all the rest are in danger.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I'm hiking my first Camino in June and putting together a kit. I bought a silk liner for my sleeping bag, because I read somewhere that the bedbugs can't or won't breach the silk. True or false?

Absolutely false!

I also agree with Falcon. I always ALWAYS hang my backpack or put it on a chair. The shoe thing... it's not about bedbugs. It's about carrying all that cowshit into the albergue! Bedbugs most likely won't hitchhike on your shoes! They are nocturnal and are deep in the dark recesses of your sleeping bag, pockets, seams, or backpack that you've left on the FLOOR by the time you're hiking the trail.

I never NEVER put my pack on the floor! The bedbugs do not fly, they CRAWL on the floor from bed to bed. And if your pack is there, they can get into it.

What to do? If you notice "mosquito bites" in a line on your skin, STOP! Take care of business! Wash EVERYTHING in HOT WATER, including the clothes you're wearing. Check all seams, pockets, and dark places. Empty your pack and SPRAY THE HELL OUT OF IT. I've never been to an albergue that does not have bug spray. Or if it's summer, put it in a black plastic garbage bag in the sun for a few hours. Or both. If you see someone else with bites, confront them! Rude? Maybe, but the hundreds of pilgrims whose butt you are protecting won't think you're rude.

Lastly, read my article on bedbugs and how to identify them and how to check your room and bed for bugs. If you find signs of bug... LEAVE, even if it means renting a private room.

Here is a link:
http://caminosantiago2.blogspot.com/2011/06/dont-let-bedbugs-bite.html

 

[wayfarer]

Does anyone know why all the posts are being moved in the last few days ?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Does anyone know why all the posts are being moved in the last few days ?

New and energetic Moderators!

 

[jirit]

Does anyone know why all the posts are being moved in the last few days ?

The moderators with Ivar's blessing decided to move all the various threads on bed bugs into one forum.

So far 47 separate threads have been moved. Susannafromsweden has done most of the leg work, so she has been busy

We thought this would make it easier for members to locate posts on this very active topic if they were all in one forum

 

[wayfarer]

The moderators with Ivar's blessing decided to move all the various threads on bed bugs into one forum.

So far 47 separate threads have been moved. Susannafromsweden has done most of the leg work, so she has been busy

We thought this would make it easier for members to locate posts on this very active topic if they were all in one forum

I understand why say questions about the Portugues camino or such would be moved, but moving threads on issues about the Frances will make them difficult to find especialy for people who go directly to the Frances page. Too much housekeeping can be as bad as none.

 

[jirit]

I understand your concerns but the same could be said about some other subjects like medical issues or gear.

If we were to post everything into one forum like the camino Frances then it makes if difficult to locate specific posts on a specific topic like bed bugs. Bed bugs like gear is an universal issue that impacts not only the camino francs route but other routes. Granted 2/3 of the members on this forum are planning or have walked the camino Frances, so most of the bed bug posts will be about the bed bugs on the camino Frances.

I for one was surprised by the very number of similar threads on generally the same topic and in some cases, the same albergue.
I don't think I would have realized that so many posts existed if they were all in camino forum. In fact I did not, and was surprised that this forum has generated at least 58 separate threads on the same subject!

Since moving them into one forum, personally I believe it is easier now to locate specific threads and posts on the topic of bed bugs.

And as I stated before, most of the threads will probably relate to bed bugs on the camino Frances.

 

[wayfarer]

I see you point, I too have seen several threads on the same subject and they might be seperated by only a few weeks.

 

[Bajaracer]

Thanks for the information. I have emailed her with the details.

Let us know if Casa Barbadelo works out for your wife.

 

[Camino Joe]

I understand how disheartening the bedbug experience was - including the response, but please don't give up on the Camino. As someone said earlier in this thread, it could happen in any hotel, and one must be vigilant, inspecting the mattress, not placing the pack on bed, etc. I must say, I was warned about Fenix on my Camino a year ago, and avoided it. Interestingly, the one person I observed being "de-bugged" was someone who had come from that albergue. Perhaps I was just lucky, but I did prepare, though, by spraying my sleeping bag, jacket and pack with permetherin (sp?) before I left. I was squeamish about the spraying, having an aversion to chemicals, but I must say there was no odor to the spray, and no physical reaction; I never would have known the items were sprayed if I hadn't done it myself.

 

[jirit]

Let us know if Casa Barbadelo works out for your wife.

I have not heard from her today but before she left she told me she was going to stay there.

Hopefully she made if there

Update:
staying at the monastery albergue at the end of town outside of Sarria. No wifi but there do have washers and dryers and she able to email

 

[NoQ]

If the Camino Frances is getting too much, what with bedbugs or cyclists or overcrowding, there are many other Caminos to Santiago too.

 

[jirit]

Update from my wife - I sent her the link to the thread on bed bugs yesterday so she could see what was posted and the responses...

"read a few postings of peoples response

You can say that I have always checked for all signs of bed bugs since I got them the first time, and there were no signs, so I thought I was safe.

Even the monastey where I am now, asked me if I stayed at Villafranca Felix Albergue. He also knows about infestation there. He said there are no regulations in Castille Lyon and it is difficult to shut any albergues. Someone could turn a garage into an albergue without problem.

The best thing is for people to spread the word, to not go there. If he doesn´t have enough pilgrims staying there he will have to make some changes."

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Keep in mind that pilgrims brought the bed bugs to Ave Fenix, so the Jato's are probably as upset with pilgrims as pilgrims are with them. That does not excuse taking no action, but it does explain the attitude.

 

[MendiWalker]

That attitude just shows the owners are just interested in money. A business isn´t only "give me your money and go". There´s more to it than that.

Buen Camino!

 

[jirit]

Reading over the 58 threads on bed bugs since they are now under their own forum, rightly or wrongly there is a history of this particular albergue being the site of bed bugs.

Whether this is due to the management of the albergue, the pilgrims that stay there, the general cleanliness of the facility, etc, we may never know.

But clearly other albergues nearby are aware and in most cases, are doing their bit to keep bed bugs being spread by unwilling pilgrims, unlucky, unknowing or uncaring pilgrims.

Awareness is half the battle in keep the problem under control.

 

[mitch237uk]

As a first timer hopefully in August 2014, the thought of bed bugs has me concerned. My wife who is not coming with me says, I wont be allowed back in the house if I get them. I therefore hope I do not get bitten by them. I will read all these posts till I start my camino and hopefully avoid them. As an aside is any chemical safe?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

the general cleanliness of the facility

That is not a factor in bed bugs. They eat only blood from live hosts. Cleanliness can be a factor in a thorough treatment for bed bugs, but they live in walls, floors, crevices, and bunk bed joints, all of which can be sparklingly clean. Clutter creates more hiding spaces, so clutter can obstruct extermination. You can find bed bugs in the cleanest of accommodations. Conversely, a hovel can be bed bug-free. Your very tidy home can become infested if you bring back the hosts. The blame will need to be placed on you, not Ave Fenix...

 

[jirit]

Well I have never got bed bugs so I must be pretty clean

 

[MendiWalker]

Reminds me........ Which was first, the chicken or the egg? If pilgrims who are "infected" and know about yet do nothing about it - the plague will continue.
If albergues are "infected", know about it and do nothing about it - the plague will continue.

Buen Camino!

 

[jirit]

Reminds me........ Which was first, the chicken or the egg? If pilgrims who are "infected" and know about yet do nothing about it - the plague will continue.
If albergues are "infected", know about it and do nothing about it - the plague will continue.

Buen Camino!

Ahh grasshopper that is a most important question...one of the mysteries of the camino. What came first - the pilgrim or the bed bug?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Bed bugs will feed on a variety of warm blooded animals, so they may predate humans, though that would require going back at least 5 million years (over a million years in Spain, if Atapuerca is to be believed). The next time that a friendly pilgrim dog wanders an albergue and sleeps in the corner, keep that in mind. Veterinarians claim that bed bugs prefer humans to dogs and cats, but I have not seen them cite a study to that effect, so perhaps it is just their medical preference of pets over humans. Bed bugs do not hop a dog for a ride as a flea might.

 

[MendiWalker]

if Atapuerca is to be believed).

Are you saying Atapuerca isn´t to be believed? (Just asking)

 

[MendiWalker]

I know, I know , off topic ......but had to ask.
Sorry

Buen Camino!

 

[HalfDomeOrBust]

Bed bugs do not hide in the blankets and pillows; they dwell in walls and bunk crevices. Naturally, blankets stored on bunks are as likely to harbor a bed bug as any other place on the bunk. I am just saying that blankets and pillows do not draw bed bugs any more than does a sheet.

Hanging your backpack from the bunk corner post will make it more difficult for the bed bugs to enter. They go where there is blood to suck, so are not drawn to climb ropes. You will need a carabiner or cord loop to hang the backpack on some bunks. On some, the hoist loop will fit over the top.

Permethrin helps. A garbage bag helps, particularly if the alternative is putting your pack on the floor! Bed bugs will wander around items stored on the floor looking for a place to spend the night.

Bed bugs will be active by May, but early in the season they are less likely to have been transported between albergues. By September, if one albergue has had bed bugs, all the rest are in danger.

Good post. Thx....

 

[Rebekah Scott]

If you find you were bitten by bugs at my house, and you tell me about it the next morning, what response would you consider "appropriate?"
I probably would not apologize to you. I would wonder why you brought your bugs into my bedroom, which I now will have to take to pieces!

 

[MendiWalker]

If you find you were bitten by bugs at my house, and you tell me about it the next morning, what response would you consider "appropriate?"
I probably would not apologize to you. I would wonder why you brought your bugs into my bedroom, which I now will have to take to pieces!

Why would you think that? Why couldn´t it be that that person DID get them at your place left by the previous pelegrino BUT said NOTHING.?
One of the big problems I see here is SILENCE. That people shut up or tell the wrong people about being bitten. Pelegrinos whine to their fellow peregrinos instead of informing the hospitalero. Hospitaleros saying and doing nothing to arriving peregrinos ( if they know they have the problem).
Yes , I know it´s a lot of work if there are bedbugs in an albergue BUT you got to do what you got to do........... DISINFECT the place . It´s the down side of an albergue.

Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Why couldn´t it be that that person DID get them at your place

Reb knows she does not have bed bugs. If there suddenly are bed bugs, the pilgrim brought them.

Perhaps those who operate albergues know a little something about bed bugs!

 

[MendiWalker]

Reb knows she does not have bed bugs. If there suddenly are bed bugs, the pilgrim brought them.

Perhaps those who operate albergues know a little something about bed bugs!

Of course peregrinos are the ones who spread them. But why the peregrino who says he/she has been bitten?
Why can´t they have been brought by another peregrino from a day or two before?

Buen Camino!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Bed bug eggs hatch in 4 to 12 days. If the bed bug is alive, the pilgrim probably brought it. Reb inspects her premises, so she knows if there are any signs of live bed bugs. If there have not been any signs, then it is very unlikely that an earlier bed bug arrived, laid eggs, and the eggs hatched to infest a just-arriving pilgrim.

When a clean place finds a bed bug, its hitchhiker is not far away! Pilgrims are the problem, which does not mean that a hospitalero should not take action. But we need to put the "blame" where it belongs on the pilgrim. Pilgrims can treat their equipment so that bed bugs do not hitchhike. All albergues can do is kill a current infestation knowing that another one will be coming with some pilgrim.

 

[jirit]

Bed bug eggs hatch in 4 to 12 days. If the bed bug is alive, the pilgrim probably brought it. Reb inspects her premises, so she knows if there are any signs of live bed bugs. If there have not been any signs, then it is very unlikely that an earlier bed bug arrived, laid eggs, and the eggs hatched to infest a just-arriving pilgrim.

When a clean place finds a bed bug, its hitchhiker is not far away! Pilgrims are the problem, which does not mean that a hospitalero should not take action. But we need to put the "blame" where it belongs on the pilgrim. Pilgrims can treat their equipment so that bed bugs do not hitchhike. All albergues can do is kill a current infestation knowing that another one will be coming with some pilgrim.

I guess that I what I was trying to suggest in my previous post...

http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/index.php?threads/Bed bugs at Refugio Ave Fénix in Villafranca.20966/#post-164838

We spend a lot time discussing on how to get rid of them or simply not get them.

We should discuss on how not to give them - in other words how not to accidentally spread them to others and other albergues.

The camino is a charitable experience but this is not the type of giving we should be aiming for.

 

[fraluchi]

Published in the CSJ September 2013 Bulletin (with apologies to R.L. Stevenson)

Ode to a Bed Bug on the Camino de Santiago

Little bed bug, chinche too –
What a bon vivant are you!

You have pilgrim blood for food,
Variety for every mood
Delivered free to your front door,
You couldn’t really ask for more.

Spanish, German, French and Swiss,
What a recipe for bliss.
Irish, Australian and Dutch
Careful you don’t drink too much

Belgian, Scandinavian
They try to hide from you in vain
But English blood, you should beware
There may be streaks of blue in there.

American is suspect too
Their fatty diet is bad for you –

By day you hide in crevice deep,
A perfect place in which to sleep.
But when night falls and lights are out,
Out you emerge to wave your snout.
It’s time for you to make a start
Menú del noche or à la carte

So choose your dish, no need for haste
To satisfy your latest taste –
Bellies, thighs, and buttocks too,
Whatever comes into your view.

No vampire had it quite so good
As you, when savouring your food.
I’m sure when you begin to suck
You cannot quite believe your luck,

And when red juice begins to flow
I wonder, do you really know
What agonies of legs and feet
Have brought to you this splendid treat?

Then, if you tire of the décor
Just take a stroll across the floor.
Many a back pack there will do
To hitch a ride to pastures new.

Your ancestors were nourished, too
For centuries they learned to do
The things you specialize in well
From Roncesvalles to Compostelle.
Your place in history’s assured
As you gorge on the pilgim horde.

Little bed bug, chiche too
How I wish that I were you!

Chris Slater

 

[vicrev]

Sorry fraluchi,that ditty gives me the creeps !!............................Vicrev

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Sorry I seem so cranky. Bedbugs exist. They are value-free, they just do what bedbugs do.
It´s us humans who feel someone must be found responsible, blamed, and shamed, and actions and reactions must meet some standard of "appropriateness."

Talk is cheap. Like litter on the Way, there´s often a lot more outrage expressed than action taken. Thoughtful pilgrims will inform a hospitalero FIRST THING if he has bug bites. Most hospis will take action right away... or sometimes (hate to say it) tell the pilg to find somewhere else to sleep.

 

[MickMac]

I worked as Facilites Manager for a large international hotel brand we had bed bugs several times in the hotel, over a twelve year period. Fumigated rooms, Burnt Matresses, Fumigated rooms each side up and down floors, Stripped carpet, still they come back, its a fact of life in international travel. "This will make you itch"

Bed bugs are small, oval non-flying insects , Adult bedbugs reach 5 mm-7 mm in length, while nymphs (juveniles) are as small as 1.5 mm.
Bedbugs have flat bodies and may sometimes be mistaken for ticks or small cockroaches. Bedbugs feed by sucking blood from humans or animals.
Adult bedbugs are reddish brown in color, appearing more reddish after feeding on a blood meal. Nymphs are clear in color and appear bright red after feeding.
The wings of bedbugs are vestigial, so they cannot fly. However, they are able to crawl rapidly. Temperatures between 70 F-80 F are most favorable for bedbugs, allowing them to develop into adults most rapidly and produce up to three generations per year.

 

[tpmchugh]

Very surprised that the hospitalero in La Faba was indifferent. When I stayed there mid September, she announced that anyone who had stayed in the albergue in Villafranca was not allowed to bring their backpacks into her albergue. She sprayed their sleeping bags before they were allowed in and sent some to sleep in the church. I didn't stay in that albergue in Villafranca but some friends that I made did and they were lucky enough to get away with out any problems. Personally, all the way from Burgos to Santiago, I never came across any mention of them except at La Faba

 

[Irène Elisabet]

Does anyone have experience with damage to fabrics from spraying with permethrin? I know DEET often damages synthetics, I also know permethrin is not DEET Just wondering - I hear alot of talk about spraying silk sheets/liners, so just wondering if anyone has noted damage to materials.

Another question - Many talk of treating thier things and themselves as if infested prior to returning home. Logistically how do you do that? Do you treat AT home or at a hotel?

Appreciate so much learning from all the wisdom and experience from all of you!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I have never had a problem with permethrin staining anything. It would be safest to test it on a hidden part of an item before spraying the whole thing. I have sprayed silk sleeping sacks, nylon sleeping sacks, Tyvek blankets/sheets, nylon sleeping bags, sleepwear, and my backpack. Keep in mind that the inert part in a spray bottle may be as harmful as the active ingredient. Regardless, it is not like DEET, which has melted a couple of my watches!

 

[Yarma]

My wife is reporting that she had come down with bed bug bites again - twice on the same camino.

A woman who stayed at the Refugio Ave Fenix in Villafranca reported seeing there and then getting bed bugs herself. This woman along with others reported getting bed bugs at the same albergue.

She reported it to the hospitalero who seemed indifferent about it and was not interested in doing something.

To make matters worse, the same woman then stayed at the albergue in La Faba sleeping nearby my wife, passing on the bed bugs to my wife and a number of other people, so this albergue is also affected.

Again the hospitalero at Le Faba seemed indifferent about it, when my wife suggested he contact the albergue in Villafranca.

She is now staying outside of Triacastela at a private alberque. My wife has just had her pack and sleeping bag sprayed again and she is hoping to get to Sarria tomorrow to find an albergue whereby she can hot wash and dry all of her clothes - yet again.

My wife is extremely upset and very disappointed about the behaviour of various pilgrims who continue to bring their boots inside, leave their packs on the beds, and generally show complete disregard to others.

After talking to her today via FaceTime, I can almost guarantee that she will not be walking the Camino Frances ever again!

I was a victim of dreaded bed bugs as well, excruciating itch, managed to avoid until I got to SDC though.
Annoyed at the response of the Pension owner, very casual and not that willing to believe me , even when I showed her the bites, both my arms covered in a long line of bites. Ppffftttt
Sorry to hear your wife has had such a bad time. I am about to do the Camino del Norte, hoping to avoid bed bugs this time.