Winter Bedbugs

grayland · Mar 7, 2016

I just completed a mid January Camino Frances. It was my 3rd or 4th walk on the CF and ninth Camino overall. I have walked in March, April, May, June, July, August, September and October.

I had never seen a bedbug or been in a albergue or hotel/pension that reported them except for one time that a girl showed up in Carrion de Los Condes with new bites while I was working as a hospitalaro. The sisters quickly got her gear and person decontaminated.

Having said that as background...I had two encounters this time.
One was in a private albergue in the owners home. We were put in a private room near the owners own bedroom. Only one other couple there that night and she did not want to open the dormitory room. My wife saw and killed a large critter walking across the white sheets in the morning. It was full of blood....but no sign of bites. Notified owner.

Two days later...in a very nice hotel in Samos we encountered the same thing. Captured the BB and gave it to manager with information as to where and when. He was very grateful to be notified and was on the phone to a fumigator immediately.

The strange thing was that I had thought that the critters were not active in winter and that they were not generally seen in the open. Both proved to be wrong.
We were not bitten..we took action to insure we were not carrying them forward.

No encounters in 9 Caminos...then two in separate types of accommodations in mid-Winter.
I had quit worrying about them long ago...but now???

Mark2012 · Mar 7, 2016

And to think I had convinced myself I would have nothing to worry about when I begin a 12-day walk from Belorado next week!

I've walked the full French way twice, and also the Norte and Portugues, - during the broad summer period - and have yet to encounter a bed bug. I assumed the March temperatures meant it would be even less likely this time out. Oh well, I guess I'll just maintain my precautions and hope for the best!

peregrina2000 · Mar 7, 2016

I just saw an article in the NYT about bedbugs in the US, and the way social media is calling out the hotels:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/01/b...and-social-media-adds-to-irritation.html?_r=0

I have had bedbugs, got bit in Zafra in 2010, but nothing since then. I have been kind of lax in my attitude, though, and maybe your experience will be a wake-up call.

What did you do about your packs, etc, grayland, when you noticed the bug? I remember that the guy I was walking with took my pack and all its contents and sprayed them with something (surely something I don't want to know about) after washing all my clothes in bleach, I think it was. I was lucky because the guy I had been walking with had been in the Spanish army for years and told me he had a lot of experience with bedbugs. Buen camino, and welcome home! Laurie

grayland · Mar 7, 2016

We did use a spray on our pack and gear, and clothes.
Neither of us were bitten which probably means they were not really too active.
We will send packs and everything else to commercial high heat dryers when they arrive by mail.
We went on to Istanbul after Santiago and changed to clothes we had sent to Ivar for storage. Everything from Camino is in mail...somewhere.

I would think that the chance of carrying anything is very small...but am now a bit more vigilent.

joe g texas aggies · Mar 7, 2016

Before I departed for Europe and the CF, I sprayed the inside of my pack, sleeping bag and liner with Premetherin, which I purchased at REI. I had no problems.

Kiwi-d · Mar 7, 2016

I too sprayed my backpack inside and out with Permethrin, and did the same when I got to Madrid, after walking for some days with someone who had been bitten. Just as well I did, as I found two dead bedbugs in my bag after arriving home. (I had taken a tiny bottle of spray with me on the Camino).