Beetle larvae or egg "life span"

R

ResIpsa

An Original Latino
I tried searching here and elsewhere but couldn't find an anwer to this, maybe i'm not phrasing the search right but can someone tell me:

How long do the beetle larvae or eggs remain viable for? assuming of course they haven't been destroyed by freezing in the intermim. If I purchase a box of habanos from '02 is hatching still a worry? '00? 1977? Forever? or is it that i misunderstand the process?

sorry if this has been addressed before but i can't find the answer.
 
ResIpsa said:
I tried searching here and elsewhere but couldn't find an anwer to this, maybe i'm not phrasing the search right but can someone tell me:

How long do the beetle larvae or eggs remain viable for? assuming of course they haven't been destroyed by freezing in the intermim. If I purchase a box of habanos from '02 is hatching still a worry? '00? 1977? Forever? or is it that i misunderstand the process?

sorry if this has been addressed before but i can't find the answer.
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From what I have read, the key is temperature. If the sticks were stored 70 degrees or lower, the eggs will not hatch with proper humidty. That being said, if they were never frozen to kill the eggs, I would think the eggs are still viable. A hatch would happen if your sticks are exposed to high temps (summer) for a period of time. Grain weavels/month hatch out of flour and pancake mixes, bird seed when they are not kept in cool temperatures. I would think it is the same for cigars. You might want to freeze them if you want no risk. Just my :2 .
 
Paoa said:
how long should you freeze them to ensure it?
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Double ziplock bags. In the freezer 2 days, one in the fridge, at least 12 hours at room temp, then in the humi. Smoke and enjoy a few weeks later.

There are slight variations to this method, but this is the one I use. No problems so far.


:ms NCRM
 
Paoa said:
how long should you freeze them to ensure it?
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Paoa, there's lots of information in previous posts on this subject. Try the search feature above and you will find lengthy discussions on beetles including prevention tips, opinions and instructions on freezing, etc.
 
Maybe I missed the answer to the original question. As resipsa asked if cigars from 1977 have been kept at perfect 65/65 conditions and if there are eggs in the cigars will they hatch when they are now exposed to high temp/humidity conditions.

Does viability end in two years, 5 years, 10 years?

Billy
 
I just sent an email to see if I can get an answer to this question.
One article I read indicated that (16 days at 36ºF, 7 days at 25ºF) to kill all stages. So if it's accurate then freezing is not necessary to kill the eggs and the eggs would survive less than 6 months if the scale holds true.
However your box from 02 was probably in the same storage area as as a box from 05 or 06. So I don't think you are any safer.
 
billybarue said:
Maybe I missed the answer to the original question. As resipsa asked if cigars from 1977 have been kept at perfect 65/65 conditions and if there are eggs in the cigars will they hatch when they are now exposed to high temp/humidity conditions.

Does viability end in two years, 5 years, 10 years?

Billy
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A beetles life cycle seems to maximize at about four months. From what I have seen and read, if the cigars that you purchased 5 years ago have not hatched out beetles yet at perfect storage conditions, they probably will not hatch out beetles. At least not from the original population. Again, I am not an expert, but from what I have gathered in reading several sources on foodstuff contaimination, if your 1977 Havana Montecristos all of a sudden break out with a beetle infestation, the eggs came from somewhere other than Cuba. Most likely other, newer cigars, or your own kitchen cabinet or pantry.
 
I was looking into this a few weeks back, as my supply of aged Cubans has suddenly increased...:) The link below, provided by another BOTL, seems to support what KVM and PUNCH are saying...Any one tried the "oven" treatment?;)

A Good Read
 
Smoken'Gun said:
I was looking into this a few weeks back, as my supply of aged Cubans has suddenly increased...:) The link below, provided by another BOTL, seems to support what KVM and PUNCH are saying...Any one tried the "oven" treatment?;)

A Good Read
Click to expand...

Didn't try the oven treatment yet but may have to give it a whirl just for fun.
Besides baked epi#2 sounds tasty. :)
 
kvm said:
Didn't try the oven treatment yet but may have to give it a whirl just for fun.
Besides baked epi#2 sounds tasty. :)
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Yes, slightly warmed and toasted...:dr

Realize you were probably joking, but I can't leave it alone. So, how about joining me for a game of "Mythbusters" I have an SP Beli from the dreaded 2000 batch, I can offer up for the sacrafice. (Actually not a bad smoke, a little loose perhaps). Just have to determine which method from the two listed. Higher heat for a shorter time, or less intensity for longer period.

"Heating small quantities of infested material in an oven (190ºF for one hour, 120ºF for 16 to 24 hours) also is effective."

Or, if we are feeling really "froggy" we could do both heat tests and compare even further. Let me know what you think, we can iron out the details through PM if interested.

Apologies to ResIpsa for the thread jack...
 
I got coupla bundles of GR Specials the other day (tasty cigar BTW & affordable) & a beetle had hatched, ate his way from one cigar & into another (there may have been more as I didn't inspect every cigar in the bundle).

Both of the bundles went immediately into the freezer. They have spent 2 days in & are now in the fridge for another 24 hrs.

Anyhow, I called the vendor & he said that the hatching usually happens in shipment when the cigars are exposed to long periods of higher temps.

The freezing technique will kill the beetle, but will not destroy any unhatched eggs.

He mentioned a, what he called a certain, method of "popping" the eggs.......nuke the cigar in the microwave for 15 seconds. I haven't tried this, but find it intriguing. This sounds like a speedier way to apply the heat method.
 
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kansashat said:
I got a bundle of GR Specials the other day (tasty cigar BTW & affordable) & a beetle had hatched, ate his way from one cigar & into another (there may have been more as I didn't inspect every cigar in the bundle).

Both of the bundles went immediately into the freezer. They have spent 2 days in & are now in the fridge for another 24 hrs.

Anyhow, I called the vendor & he said that the hatching usually happens in shipment when the cigars are exposed to long periods of higher temps.

The freezing technique will kill the beetle, but will not destroy any unhatched eggs.

He mentioned a, what he called a certain, method of "popping" the eggs.......nuke the cigar in the microwave for 15 seconds. I haven't tried this, but find it intriguing. This sounds like a speedier way to apply the heat method.
Click to expand...

If you still have the damaged sticks, give it a try. No way to Know for sure, but if a beetle hatched in transit there are likely to be more eggs unhatched.
Nuke em then put them someplace warm and see what happens. Maybe in a glass jar somewhere. ( You don't want them getting out.) :)
 
I might nuke 1 or 2 first,see what happens to them if anything...but at what point do the eggs die?They cant survive for ever...
 
68TriShield said:
I might nuke 1 or 2 first,see what happens to them if anything...but at what point do the eggs die?They cant survive for ever...
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Yes, that's what I meant the 2 damaged sticks. :) Your question came up before and I don't think we were able to find a definitive answer. I can't find the thread right now but I believe it was 3 to 4 months max depending on temp.
 
kvm said:
Yes, that's what I meant the 2 damaged sticks. :) Your question came up before and I don't think we were able to find a definitive answer. I can't find the thread right now but I believe it was 3 to 4 months max depending on temp.
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Thats shorter than I expected.Well, thats good! Thanks...
 
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