Bedbug Remedy

[cmk033]

While walking the Camino, I have encountered multiple people that were getting bitten by bedbugs. They usually have new bites in the morning, every morning, usually around exposed skin areas such as wrists, neck. I was lucky to walk away with getting few bites one night only but ones carrying bugs, made the walk/trip very miserable.

It seems that once you have the bedbug, you are carrying them with you somewhere in your gear and that is the problem. Once you have the bug, how do you get rid of it? Towards to the end of my walk, I was quite worried that I will have the bug. Or is there any ways that you can prevent from having the bug prior to the trip? Any successful method would help out many.

 

[Bristle Boy]

As one bed bug said to the other..”the Camino provides”

 

[cmk033]

As one bed bug said to the other..”the Camino provides”

Funny! But not so funny if you are carrying few bugs in your gear. And they do get out of bed, that is the problem.

 

[trecile]

I don't want other pilgrims spraying noxious aerosol sprays in the dorms!
If you suspect you have picked up bedbugs get rid of them! It's not that difficult, though it takes some time.
Put everything that you can in a HOT dryer for at least a half an hour. Everything else goes into a plastic trash bag and on a hot day set it in the sun for several hours. If it's not hot spray the bug killer inside the bag, seal it up, and let it sit for several hours.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I don't want other pilgrims spraying noxious aerosol sprays in the dorms!

Pretty much what I was going to say. Many people have bad reactions to sprays, fragrances and perfumes. Don't make them live in the cloud of these.

 

[trecile]

Go to a farmácia and ask for a spray aginst bedbugs, or go to any supermecado and you will find cheaper choices, look for anti hormigas spray, most of them contain some amount of permethrin. One called BIO or BIOS is the best. Bring with you something to cover your nose and mouth and hands when you use the spray. spray your things outside

Please do this at home before you start the Camino.

 

[Bristle Boy]

Levity aside, on this forum there are numerous threads on this subject and, to my knowledge and reading, there is no “cure all” solution.
With so many pilgrims staying in alberques and shared accommodation, the problem will only be minimised by an integrated management approach. There are many things everyone can do in a step by step approach to limiting (although never eradicating) the problem.

 

[C clearly]

once you have the bedbug, you are carrying them with you

I'm not sure what you mean. Yes, you might have a bug or two in your pack or clothes, but equally likely you will not. In any case, the best prevention is containment and isolation. Keep your backpack in an airtight bag at night. In the morning put all of your night clothes, and items that were exposed, into another airtight bag inside your backpack. If you (or your companions) get itchy spots during the day, go straight to a laundromat to treat your things (see below).

Many people do not react to the bites, but they could still be carrying a stray bedbug.

Once you have the bug, how do you get rid of it?

1. Heat. Heating to 55 degrees C for about 20 minutes will kill them. Put everything you can into a normal hot clothes dryer. Once the clothes are dry, give them 20-30 minutes more.
2. Cold. Freezing to -17C for several days, or even a week. Modern home freezer go down to this temperature.
3. Inspection of everything. These bugs are not microscopic - they are about the size of an apple seed.
4. Direct contact with a pesticide, unless the bug is resistant.

For ensuring that you don't transfer bedbugs to your home, follow these instructions by S.Yates, posted in the Resources section.

Any successful method would help out many.

Yes, it certainly would. But there appears to be no simple way. It is very easy to search on this forum or Google for information. However, many of the recommendations are not based on facts.

 

[t2andreo]

My anti-bed bug recommendations include:

• Avoid getting them if possible, some folks swear by bringing a bedsheet from home, or a sleeping bag liner already permeated with pyrethrin to repel bed bugs. Personally, I do not like contact with chemicals of any kind if I can avoid it. So I do not do this. Caveat Emptor.
• Carry ONE large black garbage bag, suitable to place all your belonging in LOOSE (out of your rucksack)... use it as a pack liner, or folded at the bottom of your rucksack...more to follow...
• Pray for sun, lots of sun...more to follow
• Accumulate pocket change, one-euro coins are best...more to follow

Okay, here's the drill:

Once you've established that the little buggers have got you, do the following:

1. Inform the place are are staying at when you found them. You either picked them up there, or you inadvertently brought them in. It happens. Either way, the proprietor needs to know right away. If you are lucky, they know the drill and will offer to help you kill them and the eggs while you are there.
2. Go outside, remove ALL your items from the rucksack. Turn the rucksack inside out if possible and shake it to try to remove any looser hangers on.
3. Do the same for all of your wearable items. Segregate inspected shaken items to a separate pile.
4. Place all of your wearables, limited only to those items covering your nakedness, and which have been carefully inspected, including seams, AND EVERY OTHER ITEM IN YOUR RUCKSACK, AND YOUR RUCKSACK, into the large black plastic bag I told you to bring (see above). Securely close the bag.
5. Place the bag in direct sunlight. The hotter the better. On a black surface like macadam is ideal. Bed bugs and their eggs are killed best by direct application of heat. Using the hot Spanish or Portuguese sun is an effective way of doing this. The black bin bag helps concentrate the hot sun. This is an all-day thing, so relax, have a cold one, catch up on your blogging, whatever.
6. At the end of the long, hopefully sunny day (the one you prayed for), machine wash and dry your wearables. THAT is what the pocket change is for. Unfortunately only the HIGHEST HEAT settings for both washing and drying will kill the insects and their eggs. This is NOT good for synthetic fibers, wool, and down is a no-no. But it is the only thing that works, short of a chemical insecticide bath.

As an alternative, if the sun will not cooperate, or if time is not on your side, skip step 5 and 6 and proceed to Step 7. Wash all wearable and fabric items as described.

This is all you can do. Good luck...

Hope this helps.

 

[Mugatu]

Just take the same precautionary actions and treat your gear. If you do happen to get them just take a hot shower, wash your gear and throw it in a hot dryer. Avoid spraying toxic chemicals in the dorms and exposing everyone to the fumes .

Unless you have severe reactions to bed bug bites they are nothing but an inconvenience. Basically just look at them like mosquitoes and move on.

 

[RJM]

I don't want other pilgrims spraying noxious aerosol sprays in the dorms!
If you suspect you have picked up bedbugs get rid of them! It's not that difficult, though it takes some time.
Put everything that you can in a HOT dryer for at least a half an hour. Everything else goes into a plastic trash bag and on a hot day set it in the sun for several hours. If it's not hot spray the bug killer inside the bag, seal it up, and let it sit for several hours.

My response was meant in the only way to lessen, if not prevent the chance of encountering a bedbug on the Camino or anywhere. Not something that I would do and hope nobody does near me, but I was answering the inquiry in the most literal way.
My attitude towards the whole bedbug thing is 100% que sera sera. Simply something not worth fretting over. Just one of the possibilities that exist when traveling and spending the night on different beds that have been used by different people in different quarters everyday.

 

[RJM]

I tried to find some spray during two of my five Caminos and never could find a source. Where do you suggest I get some for my upcoming Camino?

Surely the bigger supermercados have it, or perhaps the Spanish equivalent of a hardware store, and there's always the good old Bazaar Chino's. They seem to sell everything.

 

[cmk033]

If it's not hot spray the bug killer inside the bag, seal it up, and let it sit for several hours.

This is probability the easiest method to use next to using hot clothes dryer, on Camino but not sure how effect this method would be as the spray chemical kills on contact. Permithrin is used to scabies and lice on human so skin contact would be OK, I think.

 

[Stroller]

I have had them once and stayed the inside of the dry bag I carry my sleeping bag in with insecticide from a supermarket until it was damp, sprayed my sleeping bag popped the sleeping bag in the damp dry bag added a final spray for luck closed up the bag for 24 Hrs.. Hey presto no more bed bugs.

 

[Mugatu]

This is probability the easiest method to use next to using hot clothes dryer, on Camino but not sure how effect this method would be as the spray chemical kills on contact. Permithrin is used to scabies and lice on human so skin contact would be OK, I think.

Do a bit more digging on Permathin... YMMV

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Permithrin is used to scabies and lice on human so skin contact would be OK, I think.

When dry, yes. When wet, no.

 

[Felice]

When it comes to merino items of clothing, hot washing will destroy them. Instead, find a tumble drier that goes really hot and put your merino items in it, dry, and tumble at max heat for 45 mins. Being dry, things do not shrink. But be careful not to put your sweaty walking socks in if they are still damp, as they will shrink, as my daughter found out!!!

 

[Delphinoula]

I take very efficient for allergies nigella sativa oil. No more Allegra for me. The side effect is that somehow the little critters don’t like me anymore. For me bed mites are more deadly so I bring my protective sheet. I treated my boots and my back bag with permithin so not to spread guest to other Albergues. I had no problems with them .

 

[trecile]

I take very efficient for allergies nigella sativa oil. No more Allegra for me.

How do you take this?

 

[Delphinoula]

You can take the oil teaspoon wise or like me because of the tast the come in capsules three times a day.
For example I found these on Amazon, which I don’t endorse but to give you an idea Black Seed Oil - 120 Softgel Capsules (Non-GMO & Vegetarian) Premium Cold-Pressed

 

[Mugatu]

I take very efficient for allergies nigella sativa oil. No more Allegra for me.

Interesting, I have horrible seasonal allergies and at this point of my life just learned to deal with it...

How long have you been doing this for and what are the differences you’ve notice between the oil vs the meds( I take Claritin D regularly).

 

[cbacino]

While walking the Camino, I have encountered multiple people that were getting bitten by bedbugs. They usually have new bites in the morning, every morning, usually around exposed skin areas such as wrists, neck. I was lucky to walk away with getting few bites one night only but ones carrying bugs, made the walk/trip very miserable.

It seems that once you have the bedbug, you are carrying them with you somewhere in your gear and that is the problem. Once you have the bug, how do you get rid of it? Towards to the end of my walk, I was quite worried that I will have the bug. Or is there any ways that you can prevent from having the bug prior to the trip? Any successful method would help out many.

If the get in your gear (sleeping bag, stuff sack, pack, the will stay with you and every albergue you visit until you deal with them. I put EVERYTHING in a laundromat dryer at high heat for 45 minutes. Don’t worry about what the tags say (“Low heat only”). My stuff came out okay and bug free. Hot wash will NOT kill them.
Treat your sleeping gear, bag or liner, with permethrin before you go. It’s inexpensive in a farm or ranch store (used to keep ticks off livestock). Or have the factory treat it (Insect Shield). Look it up on the web. I went to a pharmacy in Spain to get something for chinches but they had nothing. But they did have treatment for head lice which had the same concentration of permethrin. Good luck.

 

[Delphinoula]

Mug I feel you. I am allergic seasonal and off seasonal due to dust mites allergies. I was introduced to this when I was hospitalized. First I was sceptical. With age it seemed to have mellowed down a bit meaning less asthma attacks swollen eyes stuffy nose ear aches and so on . Since I reacted with all side effects to Dimentiden realy extreme, strawberry skin that felt like burns joint swelling and so on I was always weary of meds but loratadine worked for me after fexofenandine and cetrinzin did not work for me anymore.
If I take the capsules every six hours I have no symptoms of course the asthma is still there.. I needed about a week for the oil to kick I;.
Hope it helps talk to your doctor about over dosage if it’s possible?

 

[JillGat]

But...each day we spritzed our beds with lavender spray, which is also know to deter the little bugs. Not one bite the entire camino.

1. Lavender does not work against anything.
2. When I get done with you after you sprayed lavender in the albergue, you will wish you had bedbugs instead.

 

[trecile]

1. Lavender does not work against anything.
2. When I get done with you after you sprayed lavender in the albergue, you will wish you had bedbugs instead.

Yikes!
You must dislike the smell of lavender more than I do.

 

[JillGat]

Yikes!
You must dislike the smell of lavender more than I do.

Yes, I hate it, Trecile.

 

[cmk033]

Not sure I would appreciate that strong smell in the albergue. We did a thorough inspection of the mattresses each day when we checked in. Only a couple times did we see 'evidence' of bed bugs, checked out and went down the street to another place. But...each day we spritzed our beds with lavender spray, which is also know to deter the little bugs. Not one bite the entire camino.

From my experience, many Albergues were too dark to inspect for the small critters. And what 'evidence' would I be looking for? Do you also check the mattress/bed above yours if a lower bed is assigned to you?

 

[cmk033]

When it comes to merino items of clothing, hot washing will destroy them. Instead, find a tumble drier that goes really hot and put your merino items in it, dry, and tumble at max heat for 45 mins. Being dry, things do not shrink. But be careful not to put your sweaty walking socks in if they are still damp, as they will shrink, as my daughter found out!!!

This is good information. I would think this applies to all wool clothing, including cashmere.

 

[VNwalking]

There are other better ways to deal with these beasts than that. Carefully read @C clearly and @t2andreo 's posts above and search here on the forum - there are many threads about bedbugs and how to make sure you are not carrying them.

many Albergues were too dark to inspect for the small critters. And what 'evidence' would I be looking for? Do you also check the mattress/bed above yours if a lower bed is assigned to you

Use a torch, and look for droppings and blood spots. The critters themselves are flat and about the size of a pea - they can hide in small spaces (cracks in wooden bed frames, the little covered end at the bottom of a zipper on the mattress, etc) - so check what you can.

 

[C clearly]

But...each day we spritzed our beds with lavender spray, which is also know[n] to deter the little bugs.

It is "known" by whom, and by what evidence other than people declaring it to be so?

 

[JillGat]

It is "known" by whom, and by what evidence other than people declaring it to be so?

It works against me, so maybe I'm a bedbug.

 

[JillGat]

This is good information. I would think this applies to all wool clothing, including cashmere.

I would also worry about how high heat would affect my down quilt...

 

[C clearly]

I would also worry about how high heat would affect my down quilt...

I have done down in my household dryer at "high" heat without any obvious problems, but I might be more nervous with an expensive down bag. It is probably best to do it on a dry quilt if the purpose is to kill bedbugs.

 

[Deleted member 56069]

I must be insanely lucky. Five Camino's and not a single bed bug. Never used any type of chemical treatment either. Really not keen about any chemical next to my skin regardless of how 'safe' it is suppose to be. Most chemicals are safe until they find out they aren't.
Setting out in a few days for Camino #6.
I do quarantine all my gear (including what I wear home) in my garage upon returning home, and all my laundry into a garbage bag and directly to the washer. I take a shower right away as well. My pack stays in the garage. Definitely don't want them in my house.
I am not losing any sleep over bed bugs though.

 

[Lisakline]

I don't want other pilgrims spraying noxious aerosol sprays in the dorms!
If you suspect you have picked up bedbugs get rid of them! It's not that difficult, though it takes some time.
Put everything that you can in a HOT dryer for at least a half an hour. Everything else goes into a plastic trash bag and on a hot day set it in the sun for several hours. If it's not hot spray the bug killer inside the bag, seal it up, and let it sit for several hours.

Yes, I agree, PLS DONT, also, some albergues now have signs, asking pilgrims to please not spray pesticides. You can get rid of them! Also, a pilgrim told me a few weeks ago on the Camino she hot washed, hot dried clothes, AND put the backpack in a freezer for a day.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

But...each day we spritzed our beds with lavender spray, which is also know to deter the little bugs. Not one bite the entire camino.

Not only does that create obnoxious odors which some do not like, but there is no evidence for the claim that lavender oil does anything to bedbugs. There is research which demonstrates the opposite, though.

 

[trecile]

I would also worry about how high heat would affect my down quilt...

I've put my down quilt in a hot dryer more than once with no ill effects. I have even washed and dried merino clothing on hot. Perhaps I was lucky with that. Anyway, it's the hot drying that kills the bedbugs. You can wash at any temperature you wish.

 

[Felice]

I would also worry about how high heat would affect my down quilt...

Don't know about a down quilt, but my silk sleeping bag liner, merino tops and sleeping bag came out unscathed from 45 mins at 90 degrees C.
I had been bitten, and the ladies at the albergue I was going to stay at would not let me in unless I washed everything on hot or sprayed it. I might as well have thrown my silk liner and merino tops away as have them washed at 60 degrees, and there was no way I was going to wear clothes or sleep in a bag that had been sprayed.
Needs must in extremis. Dry items are surprisingly resilient to high heat. It's not the same as ironing them which is much hotter and will definitely damage stuff.

I'm not 100% convinced that the average washing machine hot wash is hot enough to kill bugs, especially if the drum is quite full. Does everything really get to 60 degrees for long enough?

 

[JillGat]

I would be concerned with the synthetic lining of the bag possibly melting. It would be important to take the bag out before the dryer stops, unless it has a cool down cycle. You wouldn't want it sitting in a hot drum.

 

[Jermann75]

One thing to note with the black garbage bag tactic: I did this. I took everything out of the bag, sprayed it, and put it in the hot spanish sun in a black garbage bag to kill the little buggers while I went to the laundromat and washed and dried all my clothes at the laundromat. I came back, and my backpack was gone. After watching hours of the camera footage (don't ask why it took so long), I found out that someone working at the albergue had throw it out as he thought it was garbage (it was sitting on the patio of my room and the owner knew that I had treated it). I was so upset as I had just gotten out of the hospital that day with kidney stones. The albergue owner took me to the nearest outdoor store and we re-purchased my backpack. If you can believe it - they had the exact same one! So, let this be a lesson: put a note on the black garbage bag not to throw it out and your name!

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Please, please don't don't spray anything in public areas. Many people get unpleasant or unhealthy reactions to this. Peg, for example can get migrane headaches. Would you like to sleep in the bunk next to the one whose occupant is blowing cigar smoke because "it keeps the mosquitos away"?

And, off topic, I don't recommend putting a soaking wet down sleeping bag into a dryer. The heavy wet clumps of down tumbling around can weaken the stitching on the baffles.

And, also off topic:

After watching hours of the camera footage (don't ask why it took so long), I found out that someone working at the albergue had throw it out as he thought it was garbage

Many years ago National Geographic magazine had a special issue completely devoted to trash. In the end pages one of the writers told about all the research he had collected and put in boxes labelled "Trash". Yep, the cleaners came in one night and disposed of it all.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I would be concerned with the synthetic lining of the bag possibly melting. It would be important to take the bag out before the dryer stops, unless it has a cool down cycle. You wouldn't want it sitting in a hot drum.

I used an albergue dryer not knowing how hot it could get. Unfortunately it ruined most of my synthetic clothes. The clothes were so hot I could barely touch them to pull them out!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Levity aside, on this forum there are numerous threads on this subject and, to my knowledge and reading, there is no “cure all” solution.
With so many pilgrims staying in alberques and shared accommodation, the problem will only be minimised by an integrated management approach. There are many things everyone can do in a step by step approach to limiting (although never eradicating) the problem.

Definately there is no cure all. Bedbugs have been around here, there, everywhere, and "forever and a day".

 

[Felice]

I used an albergue dryer not knowing how hot it could get. Unfortunately it ruined most of my synthetic clothes. The clothes were so hot I could barely touch them to pull them out!

Did you put your clothes in the dryer when they were wet? If so, not surprised they were ruined. Wet + heat is not good news for delicates.
I put my DRY synthetics in the hot tumble - they were fine.

 

[Felice]

And, off topic, I don't recommend putting a soaking wet down sleeping bag into a dryer. The heavy wet clumps of down tumbling around can weaken the stitching on the baffles.

My sleeping bag was another thing that the ladies at the albergue wanted to put through the hot wash, and which I refused to allow. It did fine in the tumble dryer - DRY - and it's made of synthetic hollow fibre, covered with a synthetic fabric. Only problem was that I did not do up the velcro at the top and that snagged a couple of items a bit.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Did you put your clothes in the dryer when they were wet? If so, not surprised they were ruined. Wet + heat is not good news for delicates.
I put my DRY synthetics in the hot tumble - they were fine.

They went straight from the washing machine right into the dryer...just like I do at home.

 

[nidarosa]

@RJM and others - please stop talking about spraying toxic stuff around in albergues as if it's a good idea and perfectly normal. It isn't. Imagine everyone spraying some chemical on or around the dorm beds every evening, imagine the buildup - not only does it risk the bugs becoming immune to it, but would you really want to lie down on that??
And scented oil, please don't - the smell of lavender oil makes me queasy, if you need to dab or spray it somewhere, do it sparingly inside the hood of your own liner or sleeping bag, or bring your own pillow case. If you need to spray insecticides on your belongings, do it at home before you go. I don't spray deodorant, insect repellent or even perfume around you, why would you spray toxins around me? Before you even know that there are bugs there?
Just about every pilgrim brings a torch of some kind, so check the bed and the wall around it for traces of bugs - it takes a few minutes, triggers no allergies or asthma and leaves no trace! This forum is full of information on how to check for bedbugs and get rid of them if you should get bitten, but a can of toxic spray is not the solution.
Rant over.

 

[Deleted member 67185]

@RJM and others - please stop talking about spraying toxic stuff around in albergues as if it's a good idea and perfectly normal. It isn't. Imagine everyone spraying some chemical on or around the dorm beds every evening, imagine the buildup - not only does it risk the bugs becoming immune to it, but would you really want to lie down on that??

RJM was being facetious about the spraying; it was a joke. I agree with your post, though; people need to keep their sprays and smelly oils (which do NOT have any effect except to bother others) out of the alburgue dorms.

 

[nidarosa]

That might be what @RJM aimed for but not everyone here would read it as such. The suggestion is clear and a lot of people actually already swear by spraying down their beds every night, so an added smiley, such as @davebugg added above, or just not suggesting it, might be a good idea.

 

[grayland]

The thread has been edited to remove posts with attempted humor...giving advice with unaccepted remedies. The humor was not recognized as such by many new pilgrims.

The thread will be closed for now.