A bed bug infestation in a hut on the Old Ghost Road route in the northwest of the South Island meant that all huts on the 85-kilometer route had to be treated.
Old Ghost Road Track. Source: Richard Rossiter
It’s the first time bed bugs have found their way to the long-forgotten Gold Mine Road, which has been revived as a mountain bike and hiking trail.
The Old Ghost Road Track connects the old Dray Road in Lyell (Upper Buller Gorge) with the Mokihinui River in the north.
Phil Rossiter, chairman of the Mokihinui-Lyell Backcountry Trust, recently announced 1 NEWS users of the route that they had been informed of the bed bugs.
“The problem seems to concentrate on one hut, but of course and due to the flow of users from hut to hut, we are addressing all huts as a precaution.
Bed bugs feed on the blood of sleeping people and animals at night. They like to hide in dry, dark places during the day.
There are six cabins along Old Ghost Road, but the largest affected cabin is the Ghost Lake Hut.
“There was an isolated report from another cabin, but after treatment there were no further signs or reports from that cabin,” said Rossiter.
He said the trust gives incoming users the option to postpone or cancel their visit for free if the situation is addressed.
“We work on the basis that a single bed bug is an unwanted guest.”
Rossiter said the focus is on treating the huts thoroughly and persistently until confidence is confident the situation is resolved.
“This appears to be an extension of the problems that have emerged elsewhere in the country in recent months and we want to do our part to break the cycle of spread.”
As part of this, Rossiter said the trust is reaching out to recent visitors, encouraging them to consider handling their equipment as a precaution to protect themselves from the risk of spread.
Handcrafted path through the alpine section of Old Ghost Road. Source: Phil Rossiter
The bedbugs of the reveal made their home at Ghost Lake Hut just weeks after the Department of Conservation (DOC) temporarily closed three huts on the Whanganui Journey Great Walk and fumigated them after reports of the insects.
Also in April, DOC announced it would be closing the North Arm Hut on the Rakiura Track for an overhaul after the “toughest bed bugs known to man” decided to feel at home.
