Beetles

[Joshua72]

I wish I would have read this post 2 days ago I just orderd a bundle of Graycliff double Espresso PG from CI not the deal for the 1666 to just a bundle I have heard some really great things about this stick and was really looking to try it but now I am not so happy about it. I guess I will just freeze it and hope for the best I dont think the bundle comes with cello I think there all naked so I am going to have to keep a real close eye on this glad I saw this thread.
Josh

 

[GregSVT]

From what I've read having a cello on the cigar doesn't matter they will chew through it. I didn't get this deal but I have bought Graycliffs from them in the past with no problems. Looks like I'll be checking mine when I get home.

 

[Joshua72]

Can anyone tell me about this freezing process? Does it really do the job of killing the eggs? I have my doubts about this, most insects can survive most environmental changes. Also I would think the trip to me would take care of the job do to me living in Idaho, it gets pretty cold in the back of those transport trucks in the winter. Thanks
Josh

 

[Mr Peat]

What is the reason for a beetles outbreak?
Too much humidity?
Or low?
I keep my cigars at 70%-72% RH.

To my understanding a combination of high humidity and high temps. Over 70 degrees.

From what I have seen its a combination of two factors. When the temperature hits 75+ degrees and humidity is 75%+, you run the risk of the eggs hatching. But they can develop under low humidication Now it doesn't mean they will either. During the summer months, my apartment hit 80+ degrees and had near 80% and they never developed. Its really a crap shoot when it comes to beetles. I bought a cab of Punch Rothchilds Maduro Maduro at the time and I had a couple of holes that looked like tobacco beetles. We tossed them in the freezer and took them out after a couple of days. The cigars never really tasted the same, but they didn't have any tobacco beetles develop after that.

Pictures like these really makes me look through my stash and make sure they are safe. I've never had tobacco beetles develop in my humidor and pray that I please the Cigar Gods and Goddesses enough that they will keep them safe.

Can anyone tell me about this freezing process? Does it really do the job of killing the eggs? I have my doubts about this, most insects can survive most environmental changes. Also I would thing the trip to me would take care of the job do to me living in Idaho, it get pretty cold in the back of those transport trucks in the winter. Thanks
Josh

Basically you want to freeze them for 3 days and Temperatures below 1 degree's F and then put them in the refrigerator for 24 hours to help the cigars come out of the shock slowly. Then after the 24 hours, put them in the humidor and let them adjust once again. Thats the process in a nutshell.

 

[Joshua72]

What is the reason for a beetles outbreak?
Too much humidity?
Or low?
I keep my cigars at 70%-72% RH.

To my understanding a combination of high humidity and high temps. Over 70 degrees.

From what I have seen its a combination of two factors. When the temperature hits 75+ degrees and humidity is 75%+, you run the risk of the eggs hatching. But they can develop under low humidication Now it doesn't mean they will either. During the summer months, my apartment hit 80+ degrees and had near 80% and they never developed. Its really a crap shoot when it comes to beetles. I bought a cab of Punch Rothchilds Maduro Maduro at the time and I had a couple of holes that looked like tobacco beetles. We tossed them in the freezer and took them out after a couple of days. The cigars never really tasted the same, but they didn't have any tobacco beetles develop after that.

Pictures like these really makes me look through my stash and make sure they are safe. I've never had tobacco beetles develop in my humidor and pray that I please the Cigar Gods and Goddesses enough that they will keep them safe.

Can anyone tell me about this freezing process? Does it really do the job of killing the eggs? I have my doubts about this, most insects can survive most environmental changes. Also I would thing the trip to me would take care of the job do to me living in Idaho, it get pretty cold in the back of those transport trucks in the winter. Thanks
Josh

Basically you want to freeze them for 3 days and Temperatures below 1 degree's F and then put them in the refrigerator for 24 hours to help the cigars come out of the shock slowly. Then after the 24 hours, put them in the humidor and let them adjust once again. Thats the process in a nutshell.

Thank you for the reply I like the idea of putting them in the refrigerator to lessen the shock as they thaw out, But does it kill the eggs? Thanks
Josh

 

[Mr Peat]

What is the reason for a beetles outbreak?
Too much humidity?
Or low?
I keep my cigars at 70%-72% RH.

To my understanding a combination of high humidity and high temps. Over 70 degrees.

From what I have seen its a combination of two factors. When the temperature hits 75+ degrees and humidity is 75%+, you run the risk of the eggs hatching. But they can develop under low humidication Now it doesn't mean they will either. During the summer months, my apartment hit 80+ degrees and had near 80% and they never developed. Its really a crap shoot when it comes to beetles. I bought a cab of Punch Rothchilds Maduro Maduro at the time and I had a couple of holes that looked like tobacco beetles. We tossed them in the freezer and took them out after a couple of days. The cigars never really tasted the same, but they didn't have any tobacco beetles develop after that.

Pictures like these really makes me look through my stash and make sure they are safe. I've never had tobacco beetles develop in my humidor and pray that I please the Cigar Gods and Goddesses enough that they will keep them safe.

Can anyone tell me about this freezing process? Does it really do the job of killing the eggs? I have my doubts about this, most insects can survive most environmental changes. Also I would thing the trip to me would take care of the job do to me living in Idaho, it get pretty cold in the back of those transport trucks in the winter. Thanks
Josh

Basically you want to freeze them for 3 days and Temperatures below 1 degree's F and then put them in the refrigerator for 24 hours to help the cigars come out of the shock slowly. Then after the 24 hours, put them in the humidor and let them adjust once again. Thats the process in a nutshell.

Thank you for the reply I like the idea of putting them in the refrigerator to lessen the shock as they thaw out, But does it kill the eggs? Thanks
Josh

Yeah...Especially if the temperatures hit under 1 degree Fahrenheit. Key word under.

 

[Nimrod]

Can anyone tell me about this freezing process? Does it really do the job of killing the eggs? I have my doubts about this, most insects can survive most environmental changes. Also I would think the trip to me would take care of the job do to me living in Idaho, it gets pretty cold in the back of those transport trucks in the winter. Thanks
Josh

Being February I think you are safe from having to freeze your cigars. Just keep a close eye on them. With freezing, I personally have not noticed a taste difference.

 

[rectifythis]

Freezing will at least kill any ACTIVE eggs.

Double bag any cigars. Put that in a tupperware. 1 day in fridge. 3 days in freezer set as cold as it will go. (FYI my small outside fridge dropped to -41 deg.) 1 day in fridge again. Back into humi. Wait maybe a month or 2 before smoking. My experience says it works and if there is a difference in flavor, it's nothing major. (I only had to do this once and wasn't positive if the flavor changed or not).

Temperature seems to be the key if there are eggs in the tobacco. My experience with beetles have always been in temps over 80. Typically this occurs in shipping, and eggs can still develop (just slower) if they go right into a wine cooler. Once, I found a hole a month after the stick arrived, and because of the cool temp, it survived and took a long time to pupate. The single beetle showed up in a box months later. It had no buddies to screw so no other beetles ever came about.

If you have beetles, freeze any non-infected sticks. If you don't have beetles, keep an eye out for a few weeks. If nothing appears, you should be fine.

I bought this same batch with no issues. Just keep an eye on them. If you've had them a while with no beetles, I probably wouldn't worry. However, the fact that this tobacco may seem prone, if the cigars get too warm while in your control, they I would keep an eye on them again.

 

[Joshua72]

Thanks for all the replies this defiantly answers all the questions I have. There is another thread in this forum that talks about this also with some good information again thanks.
Josh