Bed bugs in Naverette

[Lindsay from Scotland]

I strayed at ‘El Refugio Naverette’ on 21 September 2024 (last night) and as I slept I was bitten by bed bugs on both my arms and on and my abdomen. There were spots of blood on the paper sheet this morning and I have raised and localised swellings on my arms. Which are extreme itchy.
I reported what had happened to the hospitaliser in the morning and I was told that “I must be mistaken “ because she has never had a problem with “chiches”before .

 

[trecile]

I reported what had happened to the hospitaliser in the morning and I was told that “I must be mistaken “ because she has never had a problem with “chiches”before .

That's very disappointing because every hospitalero/a should know that bed bugs can be brought in by pilgrims to the cleanest Albergue.

 

[good_old_shoes]

Sorry you got bitten, and even more sorry that the hospitaleros didn't take it seriously.

Sadly I've experienced similar behaviour by some hosts, too...

"That's not bed bugs" (yes, they were)

"But it's dead" (no, it still walked...)

"But you brought it in" (No, I didn't, I'm allergic, take massive precautions and would know, and also there's so much bed bug poop in that bed, they certainly have lived there for a while!)

ect.

But you did the right thing by reporting it to the hospitaleros.

Wash and / or dry all your gear on 'hot' to kill all the bugs that might have sneaked into your gear.

That way you avoid carrying them somewhere else, and show more responsibility than the albergue that apparently didn't...

 

[trecile]

Wash and / or dry all your gear on 'hot' to kill all the bugs that might have sneaked into your gear.

Don't worry about washing on hot. It's the time in the hot dryer that really counts. I recommend doing the heat treatment on dry clothes (less time required because you don't have to wait for the wet clothing to reach the desired temperature). Then if you want to wash do so according to label instructions.

If it's a warm day you can put your backpack and things that can't go into the dryer in a black plastic garbage bag and set it in the sun for a few hours.

 

[C clearly]

I was told that “I must be mistaken “ because she has never had a problem with “chiches”before

That's ridiculous.

 

[Dani7]

Agreed. Ridiculous and irresponsible, even dangerous. Some people have terrible and very serious allergic reactions to bed bug bites.

 

[lt56ny]

I strayed at ‘El Refugio Naverette’ on 21 September 2024 (last night) and as I slept I was bitten by bed bugs on both my arms and on and my abdomen. There were spots of blood on the paper sheet this morning and I have raised and localised swellings on my arms. Which are extreme itchy.
I reported what had happened to the hospitaliser in the morning and I was told that “I must be mistaken “ because she has never had a problem with “chiches”before .

I think you should post your experience in Wise Pilgrim and in Gronze.com to warn future pigrims. After many caminos I had only one similar but very different experience. I was in an albergue (I don't remember the name) on the CP coastal. I was the first one there and put in a room. The albergue looked very new and spotless. The only thing I did was put my backpack down on a chair. A minute later 3 women who I spoke with a few times that day as we passed each other and stopped in the same couple of cafes came in. I went to greet them. The hospitelara took the other ladies to the next room. A few seconds later they came running out saying there were bedbugs. I grabbed my backpack and went in the room to see. Yes they were bedbugs. The hospitelara was shocked and ashamed. She took us all to the reception desk, refunded our money. She called another albergue to make sure we had beds. She then called her husband to have him take care of the issue. She closed the albergue and then put us all in her car and drove us to the new albergue. Much better ending to a story. Sorry for your experience.

 

[Maurice Frank]

Good advice to post comments on Wise Pilgrim and Gronze including a date. Last fall on the Frances I eagerly anticipated staying at a highly regarded albergue. The day before when I went to look it up to reserve and there were multiple recent reports of bedbugs. That saved me and I was grateful.

 

[Mikey - camino]

I have been bitten by bed bugs on the camino several times. The worst was an albergue in Santiago (KM-0) he promised to credit my card and never did.
Impossible to avoid the nasty creatures. Go to a laundromat with industrial size dryers and give them a 1 hour tumble, back pack included.