LIVE from the Camino More bed bugs!!

[Jennifer Partika]

Day 7 on my Camino. Woke up at 1:00 am to find two bed bugs crawling on me and a number of fresh bites at Pension Logroño. Later saw one crawling on the wall. Didn’t know what to do as where would I go at that hour. Killed one then slept the rest of the night on my “bed bug sheet” with the lights on.
I checked the mattress upon arrival but was fooled by the crisp white sheets and cleanliness of the room so didn’t think using the sheet was necessary.
This is my second encounter with the critters in 7 days. Yeasterday I took extra precautions and wash/dried all my belongings including my backpack just to be safe.
I have avoided all public hostels and only slept in private rooms (with the exception of Roncesvalles) thinking that this would allow me to avoid them but it seems that I am encountering more bed bugs than those staying in the public albergue in bunks!
Starting day 8, hiking 19 miles on very little sleep. Not looking forward to doing the washing and drying all over again.
Will this ever end?! Is it possible that I am missing something and somehow transporting them in another way? Shoes or electronics that can not be put in the dryer??

 

[trecile]

Day 7 on my Camino. Woke up at 1:00 am to find two bed bugs crawling on me and a number of fresh bites at Pension Logroño. Later saw one crawling on the wall. Didn’t know what to do as where would I go at that hour. Killed one then slept the rest of the night on my “bed bug sheet” with the lights on.
I checked the mattress upon arrival but was fooled by the crisp white sheets and cleanliness of the room so didn’t think using the sheet was necessary.
This is my second encounter with the critters in 7 days. Yeasterday I took extra precautions and wash/dried all my belongings including my backpack just to be safe.
I have avoided all public hostels and only slept in private rooms (with the exception of Roncesvalles) thinking that this would allow me to avoid them but it seems that I am encountering more bed bugs than those staying in the public albergue in bunks!
Starting day 8, hiking 19 miles on very little sleep. Not looking forward to doing the washing and drying all over again.
Will this ever end?! Is it possible that I am missing something and somehow transporting them in another way? Shoes or electronics that can not be put in the dryer??

How warm is it there right now? If it's at all warm, take shoes and other things that can't go into the dryer and put them into a black plastic trash liner and put it out in the sun for several hours.

 

[MikeJS]

You must be very unlucky. I have walked 5 long caminos and only seen BB once (that was on the Frances).

 

[williamlittig]

Sadly bed bugs are world wide. All Trump Hotels have had instances. The critters travel and hide, Premarin has some success if you want to poisin your clothes and bedding. You seem to be doing all the right things. Keep using the black plastic bag, washing and drying often, Ultreya

 

[Jennifer Partika]

Yes Mike, indeed feeling unlucky.

 

[Jennifer Partika]

Sadly bed bugs are world wide. All Trump Hotels have had instances. The critters travel and hide, Premarin has some success if you want to poisin your clothes and bedding. You seem to be doing all the right things. Keep using the black plastic bag, washing and drying often, Ultreya[/QUOT
Thanks! Will do!

 

[Anniesantiago]

It's the end of the season. They're always worse in the Autumn, imo.
So sorry this is happening to you.
Did you spray your bag and pack with permethrin before you began?

 

[tall_dude]

They only eat one a week, so I can't see how they are in your baggage, sounds like you have been unlucky. I'd use a permethrin-based product before and after washing/dryer. Look very carefully through all your kit in the light of day, at least to ease your mind a little.

 

[Jennifer Partika]

It's the end of the season. They're always worse in the Autumn, imo.
So sorry this is happening to you.
Did you spray your bag and pack with permethrin before you began?

Soaked it. ;( But haven’t been using my sleeping bag as the private hostels have bedding which I foolishly trusted. Tonight I will be sleeping in my treated bag on top of my bed bug sheet. Hopefully I will have a bug free night and get some much needed sleep.

 

[tall_dude]

I'm sure after that, all will be fine, still enjoy your day, don't think just walk.

 

[tomnorth]

Below is a great resource I found on bedbugs. Sprays work if you spray them directly on bedbugs. They have limited residual effectiveness. The slides on identifying bedbugs are particularly good.

http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/pdf/bb-millerbasics.pdf

 

[lovetoread3]

Sadly bed bugs are world wide. All Trump Hotels have had instances. The critters travel and hide, Premarin has some success if you want to poisin your clothes and bedding. You seem to be doing all the right things. Keep using the black plastic bag, washing and drying often, Ultreya

PREMARIN???? . Menopausal hormones help a lot of things but probably not helpful in the battle of the bedbugs. I'm certain you mean permethrin but this was too hilarious not to respond to. Still laughing

 

[Sassy5280#]

I’m sorry to hear your story, I too have had run ins with bed bugs- first time in a nice place in Sarria - cleanliness is no gage for B.B. - I received over 50 bites. And spent the next two days trying to find different antihistamines to counteract my allergic reaction. Ended up going to the Health Center for oral steroids. A day later received a few more bites with less severe reactions as I’m already on steroids. I have washed all my things and NOW keep my pack in a black plastic bag each night - I NOW sleep in my treated sleeping bag on top of fully checked beds... I did buy bug spray at a Pharmacy and NOW spray it on all bed frames before each stay and NOW I sleep with the lights on... what a nightmare....Hope you are done meeting BB. Buen Camino!

 

[Jennifer Partika]

Turns out I must be cursed. Checked into the convent in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Set my bag down and checked the bed. Found a bug right away. The woman next to me also saw one crawling on the wall. As per usual, took a picture, killed it and got my money back.
9th day on the Camino and 3rd citing. This is turning comical.

 

[Just_Me]

Turns out I must be cursed. Checked into the convent in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Set my bag down and checked the bed. Found a bug right away. The woman next to me also saw one crawling on the wall. As per usual, took a picture, killed it and got my money back.
9th day on the Camino and 3rd citing. This is turning comical.

oh nooo, how frustrating - I feel for ya, really do (had experience of my own, so paranoid now and already had a nightmare dream even though my Camino is still 6 months away) hope you'll catch a break from them now for good! Buen Camino

 

[Marbe2]

First, I know your anxiety must be through the roof every time you enter a place! So sorry. I must admit, my anxiety is increasing as I read your posts because we will start are The Frances next week! I do hope the Convent will at the very least close off that room and treat it immediately...not sure that will be enough? Thank you for reporting.

Where did you go when you left the Convent?

 

[Jennifer Partika]

I am now at the Albergue de Pelegrínos and all seems well. Fingers crossed! This issue with bed bugs does somewhat distract from the mental calm and clarity that I was hoping to gain along The Way.

 

[Deleted member 39850]

Sadly bed bugs are world wide. All Trump Hotels have had instances. The critters travel and hide, Premarin has some success if you want to poisin your clothes and bedding. You seem to be doing all the right things. Keep using the black plastic bag, washing and drying often, Ultreya

Permethrin. Premarin is a hormone given to prevent miscarriages and to treat concerns arising in menopause derived from PREgnant MARe urINe. I think you had a very unfortunate case of auto-correct there, but we would not want people asking their pharmacies for premarin for a through hike.

 

[Deleted member 39850]

I am now at the Albergue de Pelegrínos and all seems well. Fingers crossed! This issue with bed bugs does somewhat distract from the mental calm and clarity that I was hoping to gain along The Way.

On my first camino I was very luck and had only one bite. On this one I was far less fortunate and encountered them on at least 2 occasions and was bitten each time (about a week apart). Go to a pharmacy and get a tube of antihistamine gel so that you avoid scratching to the point of getting an infection. Take all your stuff to a laundry and do the hot-water wash and the hot dry (just to make yourself feel extra secure). Put your footwear in too. There is nothing to attract the bugs to your electronics, but you could calm your own concerns by getting some ziplock for your devices and putting them inside; you'd find out soon enough *IF* any critters were in there.

When you get home, do the washing again, and I also always put my pack, boots, and papers into the deep freezer for 3 weeks.

I have a brother-in-law in the hotel business....

 

[williamlittig]

PREMARIN???? . Menopausal hormones help a lot of things but probably not helpful in the battle of the bedbugs. I'm certain you mean permethrin but this was too hilarious not to respond to. Still laughing

Sadly spell correct took over and I didn’t catch it.

 

[Barb Howell]

Day 7 on my Camino. Woke up at 1:00 am to find two bed bugs crawling on me and a number of fresh bites at Pension Logroño. Later saw one crawling on the wall. Didn’t know what to do as where would I go at that hour. Killed one then slept the rest of the night on my “bed bug sheet” with the lights on.
I checked the mattress upon arrival but was fooled by the crisp white sheets and cleanliness of the room so didn’t think using the sheet was necessary.
This is my second encounter with the critters in 7 days. Yeasterday I took extra precautions and wash/dried all my belongings including my backpack just to be safe.
I have avoided all public hostels and only slept in private rooms (with the exception of Roncesvalles) thinking that this would allow me to avoid them but it seems that I am encountering more bed bugs than those staying in the public albergue in bunks!
Starting day 8, hiking 19 miles on very little sleep. Not looking forward to doing the washing and drying all over again.
Will this ever end?! Is it possible that I am missing something and somehow transporting them in another way? Shoes or electronics that can not be put in the dryer??

 

[Barb Howell]

There is a spray that you can purchase at a Farmacia that will take care of bed bugs or any other bugs. I got a couple of spider bites in Zuburi overnight and that is what the pharmacist recommended.

 

[long trails]

You rarely get them in albergues. Cheap hotels and pensiones are probably more risky.

 

[TaraWalks]

Turns out I must be cursed. Checked into the convent in Santo Domingo de la Calzada. Set my bag down and checked the bed. Found a bug right away. The woman next to me also saw one crawling on the wall. As per usual, took a picture, killed it and got my money back.
9th day on the Camino and 3rd citing. This is turning comical.

You're not unlucky, it just is what it is on the Camino and sadly BBs are rife. When people say they've walked saveral Caminos and never seen one, that's mainly because they're part of the 60% of people who don't react to them.

My partner and I walked in mid March/April hoping to avoid them but was bitten 5 times over my walk, the first time being in Roncesvalles, the last being in SDC. This was my second Camino. The first I walked in August/September and was bitten 5-6 times except way more severely (like over 50 bites on each arm and leg - thankyou Municipal Albergue Molinaseca).

You're not doing anything wrong, just use your treated sleeping bag etc from now on and hopefully you'll avoid them!
Ultreia.
Tara

 

[Deleted member 67338]

Maybe just ALL HOTELS would have been sufficient,nice sutle dig but let’s keep politics off the forum also I’m an Aussie

 

[Kanga]

Bed bugs are a problem everywhere.

A couple of nights ago I slept in a backpackers hostel here in Australia. Very similar to an albergue. I was interested that we were not permitted to use our own sleeping bags or sleeping sheets - were required to keep them sealed up inside our packs, which were placed in metal lockers. By law the hostel must provide everyone with clean bed linen, including sheets, pillow covers and doona covers.

It all looked spotless but in spite of the precautions I still felt uncomfortable without my tried and tested permethrin treated bedding, and my Deet spray. I chose to sleep on the top bunk to minimise exposure.

 

[TaraWalks]

Bed bugs are a problem everywhere.

A couple of nights ago I slept in a backpackers hostel here in Australia. Very similar to an albergue. I was interested that we were not permitted to use our own sleeping bags or sleeping sheets - were required to keep them sealed up inside our packs, which were placed in metal lockers. By law the hostel must provide everyone with clean bed linen, including sheets, pillow covers and doona covers.

It all looked spotless but in spite of the precautions I still felt uncomfortable without my tried and tested permethrin treated bedding, and my Deet spray. I chose to sleep on the top bunk to minimise exposure.

Did you get bitten? AS a fellow Aussie, I love to know this stuff!

 

[Kanga]

No! I seem to be fine.

 

[Erin Elizabeth]

When I walked in the fall of 2016, I made it to the brink of Santiago -- the very brink! -- without a bedbug sighting. I saw evidence of thesee pests several times, and even passed off my arsenal of high-test American antihistamines on one poor guy whose eyes had swollen shut from the bites. Because I wanted to walk into Santiago walk during daylight hours, I stayed just outside of the city that last night, in a beautiful and immaculate, single-room style place: Casa Lavacola. It was the among the cleanest lodgings I'd had over the course of my Camino. And I was eaten alive. Took prednisone for two months, and my hands still itched a full five months later.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I use permethrin on my own sleeping sheet, the outside of my sleeping bag and backpack. I have never been bitten to my knowledge, however I have seen 3 bedbugs on the Norte, 1 on the Meseta and 1 on the Le Puy. A few times I became paranoid and slept with the lights on all night, hardly sleeping a wink.

 

[notion900]

I got a couple of spider bites in Zuburi

I saw the biggest, most horrendous spider ever near there, one morning on the ceiling in an albergue. I legged it. And weeks later I met a woman with an horrific spider bite on her leg (then again she was only using homeopathic remedies on it, so my sympathy was limited). Turns out she had been in the bed above me in the same place.

 

[nycwalking]

A true traveling bug.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Nyc, yeah, you did it!

 

[Bristle Boy]

PREMARIN???? . Menopausal hormones help a lot of things but probably not helpful in the battle of the bedbugs. I'm certain you mean permethrin but this was too hilarious not to respond to. Still laughing

Seriously!!! No wonder the chemist looked at me with a bit of bewilderment!
Me. “Is it possible to get hold of some Premarin?”
Chemist. “What can you possibly want with that sir?”
Me. (With my most seriously serious face on)
“Bed bugs”

Staaap it! LMAO!!!