And I hoped it would never happen...

[DirtyDave]

I guess it's a right of passage, but I was saddened today when I opened up one of my humidors to find something out of place. An odd little pile by one of my Padron 26 #9 Maddies... I quickly pulled everything out to examine the damage. I inspect the sticks closest to it, and the rest of the cigars in the humidor, and didn't find anything. Just to be safe, I bagged everything up and will be putting it through the through the freezer treatment. I'm off to the archives to look into how to make sure nothing is hiding in the humidor and get it ready for future use.

I did an autopsy on the cigar, and only found one larve. It's the one poking it's ugly head out in the picture. I made sure to squish that nasty little bastard. I almost shed a tear when I cut into that cigar I'd had aging for almost 2 years now... Oh well, should have smoked it. Lesson learned.

 

[:Monty:]

Those bastards!

 

[souldog]

You should've tortured him for a few hours until he gave up his fellow kinsmen, Dave. Bauer style, that'll take care of yer beetle problem.


Hunt those tobacco-suckers down to each and every final cave and crevice they're hiding in!!

 

[HumiDork]

ROFLMAO souldog24ca has the right idea.... damn bugs...

Bro that sucks. That's the kinda thing that makes me reconsider continuing to age some of my really nice cigars... you never know what tomorrow brings!

 

[Big B]

Yep I think about those little bastards every time I pass up the chance to smoke a high dollar stick in favor of saving or aging it. I sorry you lost a few good ones. At least it wasn't the whole stash.

 

[DirtyDave]

You should've tortured him for a few hours until he gave up his fellow kinsmen, Dave. Bauer style, that'll take care of yer beetle problem.


Hunt those tobacco-suckers down to each and every final cave and crevice they're hiding in!!

Oh, I did mess with him for a while before squishing that little fugger! I almost torched him, just on principle. I found one more that might have been a larve in that pile in the picture. I've treated the humidor with an ammonia/water solution and am now letting it air out for a while before re-seasoning. My concern about residual smell is outweighed by my desire to make sure every last one of them is out of there! Glad it was my smaller humi, but I still have no where to put those sticks after the freezer treatment. Any takers? (just kidding )

 

[Gavin]

Thanks for taking pictures so that I know what to look for!

 

[w00ts!te]

Are you planning on freezing your stash? Was it the padron you lost? I am sorry.

 

[DirtyDave]

Are you planning on freezing your stash? Was it the padron you lost? I am sorry.

Yup, a 2 year old padron... The whole stash (from that humidor at least) just went into the freezer. It just spent the last 24 hours in the fridge. The next 3 to 4 days will be in deep freeze then back to the fridge for a day. It's looking like I'll probably be able to get that humidor back up and running in time for them when they come out of the deep freeze, which makes me very happy. I just gave it another ammonia treatment when I got home from work and will begin reseasoning tomorrow night.

I'm still a bit puzzled about how this happened in the first place. The humidor has never been over 70 degrees since it's been put into use. It usually sits around 68/68. Lately it's been even cooler, about 63 degrees. Oh well, glad I regularly check things or it could have been way worse.

 

[flamchop]

Yikes. I found one beetle hole about a year or so ago and froze my stash too. I'm using a Vinotemp now but this is making me want to re-check my stash as soon as I get home.

 

[jnknzz]

Sucks about the beetle, man. IMO, I'd go buy a large tupperware ($7-8) to store them in when they come out of the freeze session. No sense in rushing your seasoning process; you never know when it'll take a few extra days. Plus, it's nice having the tupperware around for overflow protection. :thumbs:

I thought beetles desired temp range was 65* and higher. Could be wrong, tho...


Derek

 

[DirtyDave]

Most of what I read said over 75, but I'm sure there is really no true "safe" zone other than frozen. I do have some tupperware for if the seasoning takes a bit longer. Sucks that my coolidor is brimming full, or that would be a great place for them to rest. Time to get another one of those too.

 

[souldog]

Thank God I check my coolers and humi's every 2 weeks!

 

[thechenman]

Dave...sorry to read about this unfortunate incident. Hopefully you won't suffer this issue again. I had a scare from one of my Padron #9s a few weeks ago. Turned out to be a false alarm.

 

[jnknzz]

While tobacco beetles can be found in environments exceeding 65˚F, they typically hatch in conditions over 73˚F, with high humidity.

...their desired temperature range (65 degrees Fahrenheit and warmer).

This is jibberish to me

Derek

 

[DirtyDave]

Thanks for the links. Odd that the rule of thumb would be 70/70 given that info. You'd think 60/70 might be a better idea. Guess it's time I start looking into a vinotemp. Hell, this time of year maybe I should just open a window! :sign:

Thanks again!

 

[Custom Creations]

I cant say I ever had a beetle but I have seen a few from time to time. They can ruin your collection quickly! I would try some beetle traps by Serrico. They are pretty cheap. freezing your cigars will kill the beetles but also hurt the wrapper. You may see the wrapper become a bit brittle and unwrap on you.