Beetles?

[Lootzo]

Just came home from work and grabbed a cigar out of my humidor cut and lit it was about halfway through when I seen this little bastard crawling on my hand. Don't know if it's a "tobacco" beetle or not cigar didn't have any holes or damage to it and never heard of a beetle coming out of a cigar while someone was smoking it wonder if anyone has seen any of these up close and personal and can tell me or not if it is indeed a tobacco beetle before I icebox all my cigars.

 

[H. Vachon]

It certainly looks that way.

 

[CBoukal]

quick google search would say yes!!

tobacco beetle - Google Search

 

[Lootzo]

Seems odd just checked everything in my cabinet don't see any holes in any of my sticks don't see any of those little bastards crawling around or anything and I keep everything I have wrapped in cello.

 

[CBoukal]

I'd check your humidity and temp's more often and I would 100% give them the freezer treatment. I wouldn't put anything new in that humidor until you've done that, cleaned the humidor. Even after that I personally wouldn't put new sticks into that humidor until everything in there now was gone.

 

[Lootzo]

Humidity and temp aren't a problem temp never goes past 72 and my humidity from bottom to top of the cabinet is 65-67 rh
And I know my hygrometers are all spot on I check and calibrate them every 2 months

 

[CBoukal]

Its like when I ask my 12 year old who ate the last brownie... NOT ME
Cigar beetles thrive and hatch in higher temp and humidity. Maybe your old desktop humidor was in the sun at times during the day?? Or maybe the quote below helps

Top shelf - 74f 64% rh

 

[Lootzo]

Whatever what was in my desktop humidor is still in their. And if you've read when I had that temp it was when my cabinet was being seasoned and was completely empty.
Thanks for feedback though all help is greatly appreciated. I'm freezing everything anyways to be safe.

 

[K3V1NFTW]

I’ve heard people saying that put in the freezer for couple days then transfer to refrigerator for a day before store into the humidor.. so the low temp will kill all the bugs and eggs… please correct me if that’s not truth

 

[kann]

@CigSid @jfields

Can one of you guys chime in here? I seem to recall a previous conversation on freezing that stated regular consumer-grade home freezers are not cold enough to be of any use when attempting to freeze for beetles.

 

[jfields]

@CigSid @jfields

Can one of you guys chime in here? I seem to recall a previous conversation on freezing that stated regular consumer-grade home freezers are not cold enough to be of any use when attempting to freeze for beetles.

The majority of them will not work. However, some will. When we bought our last fridge, one of the criteria was to see if I could set the temperature below zero°. Was surprised to see how many would only go down to 10 or 5°. Anyways, you have to have a freezer that will go below zero in order for the eggs to freeze, crystallize, and the protective shells to split open.
I discussed this with Jorge Padron at an event once. They deep freeze everything before it goes out. I had already heard that, but what I was surprised to hear was that they don’t acclimate. He told me they just grab what they need out of the freezer, shove them in a box, and then ship them off to whomever.

 

[CigSid]

The majority of them will not work. However, some will. When we bought our last fridge, one of the criteria was to see if I could set the temperature below zero°. Was surprised to see how many would only go down to 10 or 5°. Anyways, you have to have a freezer that will go below zero in order for the eggs to freeze, crystallize, and the protective shells to split open.
I discussed this with Jorge Padron at an event once. They deep freeze everything before it goes out. I had already heard that, but what I was surprised to hear was that they don’t acclimate. He told me they just grab what they need out of the freezer, shove them in a box, and then ship them off to whomever.

This is correct, however, if you have live Beatles (or even think you do) use the 3 - 3 - 3 process. Ziplock freezer bag (I double up) 3 days in fridge, 3 days in freezer, 3 days back in fridge. This will kill the Beatles, and your temperature in your humidor (70 or below) will keep any eggs from hatching...

 

[CigarMan Andy]

Beetles will hatch @ 85° and 85%. Quite a few cigar companies do freeze their tobacco, but not ISOM. A lot of smaller DR or Nicaraguan companies don’t freeze. If you are worried, several companies make beetle traps that work. Check out

https://pantrypest.com/Cigarette-Beetles.html

How To Get Rid of Cigarette Beetles

How to get rid of cigarette beetles through trapping and non-chemical control methods.

www.domyown.com

 

[Scap]

Beetles will hatch @ 85° and 85%. Quite a few cigar companies do freeze their tobacco, but not ISOM. A lot of smaller DR or Nicaraguan companies don’t freeze. If you are worried, several companies make beetle traps that work. Check out

https://pantrypest.com/Cigarette-Beetles.html

How To Get Rid of Cigarette Beetles

How to get rid of cigarette beetles through trapping and non-chemical control methods.

www.domyown.com

Cuba does too....but to what extent, nobody really knows.

 

[Corneighdo]

This doesn’t get posted often enough here. JTI research.

 

[Corneighdo]

Every freezer has a different temp. And just because your cigars are in there, doesn’t mean the beetle or it’s pupal or larvae are at that temp. So just err on the side of caution. You can deep freeze a cigar, just do it in a gradual temperature shift. The most important thing is to not shock the cigars. I would go from cool room temp, then to fridge, then to freezer for a long time (2 weeks). Then back to fridge, then cool room temp, the humi.

IMHO.

 

[kann]

Every freezer has a different temp. And just because your cigars are in there, doesn’t mean the beetle or it’s pupal or larvae are at that temp. So just err on the side of caution. You can deep freeze a cigar, just do it in a gradual temperature shift. The most important thing is to not shock the cigars. I would go from cool room temp, then to fridge, then to freezer for a long time (2 weeks). Then back to fridge, then cool room temp, the humi.

IMHO.

With such a long time in low humidity environments, won't the cigars lose oils as they dry and be permanently altered, even once returned to proper humidity?

 

[H. Vachon]

With such a long time in low humidity environments, won't the cigars lose oils as they dry and be permanently altered, even once returned to proper humidity?

I’m following along to hear this answer

 

[CigSid]

With such a long time in low humidity environments, won't the cigars lose oils as they dry and be permanently altered, even once returned to proper humidity?

Great question.

One of the most important parts of this procedure is to double bag (using ziplock freezer bags) your cigars. This way, they will stay pretty close to the humidity that they started at. Also, you have to remove them from their boxes, and freeze the boxes separately.

 

[Corneighdo]

Great question.

One of the most important parts of this procedure is to double bag (using ziplock freezer bags) your cigars. This way, they will stay pretty close to the humidity that they started at. Also, you have to remove them from their boxes, and freeze the boxes separately.

Exactly. Seal seal seal. Trap that humidity.