Beetle

J

jb1677

Young Ape
Yesterday evening I opened up the humidor and chose a RP Edge Missile for an evening smoke. When I picked the stick up I noticed a pile of dust where it had been sitting, I turned it over and found a hole. There was a brief second where I was like WTF, then it hit me like a freight train…. I have critters.

I quickly move the stick to the OR (kitchen counter) and began dissecting. Fairly quickly I found the intruder, a white grub looking thing (larvae stage beetle I assume). There was only one, the rest of the cigar was clean. I inspected all my other sticks, no signs of beetles whatsoever.

From what I have read the eggs are only good for up to 35 days, once hatched the larvae stage lasts for 5 to 10 weeks. That means at most the egg was laid 15 weeks ago. Problem is I bought the stick longer ago than that, does this tell me that the critter came from me and was not already in the stick?

Can anyone explain how the eggs are deposited? I read up on the lifecycle of the beetle but I am not clear on the egg issue. Does an adult burrow in and deposit eggs? Everything I have read seems to indicate that the holes/tunnels are caused by larvae not adults.

I am just trying to rationalize where this thing came from, I want to believe that it hitchhiked in with the stick, that the rest of my sticks are clean and there is nothing to worry about but the facts seem to be against me.

Ugh, what a crappy day.
 
I could be wrong, but it is my understanding that eggs could have been deposited long before you got your cigars. I've been told that eggs lay dormant untill they reach a certain temperature (about 75 degrees f) and it is when they reach this temp they hatch and feast upon tastey cigars. You may want to freeze you cigars just to be safe.
 
Bobb:

Thanks for the tip, a lot of what I have read indicates that the eggs can live indefinitely; other things indicate that they are only viable for 35 days.

I am debating internally about freezing everything, just scares the crap out of me, putting dozens of VSG’s, Opus’s a few ISOMs etc into the freezer and hoping for the best. I have read all the methods but it stills scares me :)
 
I think freezing only kills live beetles and larvae, not the eggs. I would definitely freeze that humi and everything in it for at least 3 days though, to prevent any further infection. I wouldn't worry about how it will affect the sticks. They should be fine as long as you double-ziplock them with real ziplock bags, not those slider BS crappys...

What you need to keep in mind is the consequences of not doing it. What would you rather have, a humi full of cigars with maybe 3-4 tasting a little off from freezing, or a humi full of tobacco dust from the beetles that will eat through your stock? Dunno about you, but the couple slightly off cigars is a lot more apealing.
 
I know a lot of people who freeze everything as soon as they get them...Cubans, Opus X-es, and other quality sticks just as insurance. As long as you do it right, the sticks should be just fine...and most importantly, beetle-free

Good luck!
 
i wouldn't risk not freezing the other cigars... at the very least, the cigars in that compartment of the humi. Freezing cigars should not ruin the taste, burn, etc if you take your time in doing it right... IMHO
 
jb1677 said:
Bobb:

Thanks for the tip, a lot of what I have read indicates that the eggs can live indefinitely; other things indicate that they are only viable for 35 days.

I am debating internally about freezing everything, just scares the crap out of me, putting dozens of VSG’s, Opus’s a few ISOMs etc into the freezer and hoping for the best. I have read all the methods but it stills scares me :)
Click to expand...

Well either freeze everything or keep worrying about the rest of your stock. I think everything you said is correct though...it is actually the beetle larvae making the holes, hatched from an egg that was on the tobacco leaf. Check your freezer temp, but mine actually gets down to -20 deg F, which should kill any larvae after 3 days from what I've read.
 
Malik23 said:
What you need to keep in mind is the consequences of not doing it. What would you rather have, a humi full of cigars with maybe 3-4 tasting a little off from freezing, or a humi full of tobacco dust from the beetles that will eat through your stock? Dunno about you, but the couple slightly off cigars is a lot more apealing.
Click to expand...

http://www.clubstogie.com/photo/showfull.php?photo=967

(Warning...this picture may cause dizziness, nausea, intense abdominal pain, rectal itching, and a sudden urge to go and buy the most powerful freezer money can buy)

This picture is the reason I freeze all my cigars when the weather gets hot.
 
Last edited:
Bobb said:
http://www.clubstogie.com/photo/showfull.php?photo=967

(Warning...this picture may cause dizziness, nausea, intense abdominal pain, rectal itching, and a sudden urge to go and buy the most powerful freezer money can buy)

This picture is the reason I freeze all my cigars when the weather gets hot.
Click to expand...

This photo makes me sick everytime I see it. If that were my stash I would have definatly cried.
As far as the beetles go, it seems more and more lately there have been outbreaks. Scares the chit out of me. What's odd is the fact that we are getting into the colder months. I guess I should be grateful that the wife likes it cold so the heat is never cranked up. I think this weekend calls for a reorganization/inspection session.
I agree with the mob and say freeze your stash. It's Better and cheaper to be safe than sorry.:2 Good Luck!
 
Bobb said:
http://www.clubstogie.com/photo/showfull.php?photo=967

(Warning...this picture may cause dizziness, nausea, intense abdominal pain, rectal itching, and a sudden urge to go and buy the most powerful freezer money can buy)

This picture is the reason I freeze all my cigars when the weather gets hot.
Click to expand...
that is a sad sight indeed.

if that were my box I would have been in tears... serious.


I wonder if you can freeze that and use the scraps in a pipe? :r
 
What freaks me out the most with this is that my humi is 70/70 or less all the time yet an egg hatched. Well I only know of "an egg", I guess there could be more.
 
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