Ekdog

I lent my beloved down sleeping bag to my son, who's walking the Way of Saint James. He informs me the bag has become infested with bed bugs.

What's the best way to get rid of these nasty creatures?

hybridbkrdr

Spraying vinegar for a couple of weeks can kill the eggs of the insects.

rifraf

What about trying some camphor balls?
I havnt tried this myself for a sleeping bag but I keep them hanging in my closet to keep insects like moths out of my clothes.
My sleeping bag is in my closet so arguably receiving the benefit of them.
The correlation is I've had no insect infestations in either my clothes nor camping gear.
Another idea might be putting in the bag a pet flea collar or perhaps washing the bag with pet shampoo with fleas in mind.
I used to keep a dog who was allergic to flea bites and if memory serves its ingredient was tea tree oil which not only put paid to the fleas but also helped with the healing process of his skin.
Bound to be lots of good ideas coming your way.
Good luck and
Happy spinning.

Rowan

I would have thought google would have turned up something... like this:

https://voices.yahoo.com/bed-bugs-eli...555.html?cat=6

bengreen79

The problem with getting rid of bed bugs is they're often in beds and furniture. You can't easily wash either. A hot wash + a long line dry should do the trick. You could try a hot dry but it may damage it - maybe worth a try if you're facing getting rid of it anyway. More important is how you handle it until you get a chance to wash it. I would seal it tightly in a garbage bag and leave it outside.

Ekdog

If it's okay with you, Rowan, I prefer to rely on the knowledge acquired by the cyclists in this sub-forum, many of whom have actually toured on their bicycles and may very well have had similar problems.

Ekdog

Thank you very much indeed to you and dybridbkrdr for the helpful ideas.

Artkansas 

Heat is your friend. Put the sleeping bag in a dryer at 120 degrees or more for its full run and that should kill the bad boys. A pest professional instructed me to do this with my sleeping bag.

And when the boy returns home. Have trash bags waiting outside so he can put all his gear in those to ensure that the bedbugs don't return with him and you can sort them out and make sure you kill anything that might return home at your leisure.

Ekdog

I wonder if dry cleaning might be a good way to go.

LexKing

It is my understanding that the bugs hate light. Try leaving it opened up outside, maybe draped across a clothes line or similar, for a couple of days then wash it. Be sure to keep it out of your house as they are very difficult to get rid of.

Ekdog

Won't drying at 120º damage the bag?

andrewclaus

Ditto this. If you're so lucky as to know the infestation is in a single, portable item, this is all you need to do. The problem is if they get into the rest of the home, heat is not an easy solution anymore.

andrewclaus

Good question, but 120F for one dryer cycle is not that hot. I think birds can survive that kind of heat and live to fly again, so it shouldn't damage the feathers. Everyone says to store down in a cool, dry, dark place, so heat is not really your friend in the long run. But given the alternatives of pesticides and laundering, I think simple heat is your best best.

Tourist in MSN

If it happened to me, I would contact a sleeping bag manufacturer and find out what they say.

JerrySTL

Heat is your friend. Burn it. Burn it with fire. And everything else your son brings home.

I have a brother-in-law whose apartment complex was infested with bed bugs. They tried everything to get rid of the bugs including heating the rooms to something like 130°F. No joy. He finally moved to another apartment miles away and didn't take much of anything with him. He threw away his clothing, furniture, books, etc. He only took a few personal items to the new apartment.

JonnyHK 

Sixty Fiver

Heat is your friend... one minute at 120 F and bed bugs die.

Your son will be or is already a walking bed bug infestation and what he needs to do is find a laundromat and wash everything he wears and sleeps in with hot soapy water (also a bug killer) and then dry things on high heat. For things that won't handle wet washes, the heat of a good dryer should suffice.

Nothing he is carrying should be allowed in your home.

If you lived in a hot enough climate (and Spain should be that), other goods could be placed in black garbage bags and be left in the sun or placed in your car where the interior temperature is sufficient to kill the little bloodsuckers.

alan s 

Maybe placing in a freezer for a week would kill them. No idea if that would work, but it wouldn't hurt your bag.

LuckySailor

HEAT! In the dryer for a minimum of 20 minutes at high heat 140 degrees. That kills all stages of bedbugs. Retail type pesticides generally are not effective (enough). We own apartment buildings and heat is how they kill them. Not that any of our buildings have been infested (knock on wood please!) but this is what the seminars that we have attended have told us. Good luck!

Carbonfiberboy 

And so, sure 'nuff, you get speculation and no experience. See also the current IGH/belt thread. Beware of trying to inject knowledge into the touring forum!

robow

So if I just "sleep tight" I won't be OK?

Simon Cowbell

Happy new sleeping bag day, son.

Altair 4

Just reading this thread is making me itchy!

Ekdog

Could be: https://www.bedbugs.umn.edu/bed-bug-c...edbug-control/

djb

you deserve an honourable mention for that one.