small beetle problem

[CAJUNBLAZE]

I wonder if anyone has tried a small ice pack. Say like one of those small ziploc bags, freeze water in it, then wrap it in a paper towel and put it in another ziploc. I have the same problem, during the summer it can get as high as 78 in the house.

Rich

[DeeDubya]

I'm thinking about converting one of the "thermoelectric" wine coolers for my long term storage. They draw minimal current and can easily cool down to 60 or so. It would be a bargain compared to loosing a couple grand in stogs.

[ashauler]

I wonder if anyone has tried a small ice pack. Say like one of those small ziploc bags, freeze water in it, then wrap it in a paper towel and put it in another ziploc. I have the same problem, during the summer it can get as high as 78 in the house.

Rich

Try the blue-ice pack thingys, I've heard tell they work. They are most efficient used in combination with beads to regulate the humdity as the ice pack sweats. YMMV.

[Shelby07]

Hey Timm - I don't think there is such a thing as a "small" beetle problem. Take everything and distribute them to your friends to put in their freezers for 3-5 days. Make sure they put them in the refrigerator section for a day or so when they take them out.

Sorry to hear about the outbreak, but don't take a chance. If the little buggers did lay a new batch of eggs, there could be hundreds of them and you won't know about them for a few weeks.

Good luck!

EDIT: Be sure to clean out the igloo when it's empty.

[ReV]

Hey Timm - I don't think there is such a thing as a "small" beetle problem. Take everything and distribute them to your friends to put in their freezers for 3-5 days. Make sure they put them in the refrigerator section for a day or so when they take them out.

Sorry to hear about the outbreak, but don't take a chance. If the little buggers did lay a new batch of eggs, there could be hundreds of them and you won't know about them for a few weeks.

Good luck!

EDIT: Be sure to clean out the igloo when it's empty.

I emptied. cleaned and surveyed. Maybe i'm being niave, but I honestly don't think the things could physically get into most of my boxes as they're very tightly sealed and there was no evidence of beetles inside. The infestation was relatively new as there were only a few holes in a few sticks for the moment and everything that was loose or in a box that didn't seal well is now in the freezer. If you think they could have gotten in the closed boxes, I may try to find some way to get all the sticks in the freezer (like I said, I've never personally dealt with these), but I'm pretty confident in my selective freezing method. Luckily, its getting cooler here so I don't have to worry about cooling down my humis again for a few months at least.

[Shelby07]

I emptied. cleaned and surveyed. Maybe i'm being niave, but I honestly don't think the things could physically get into most of my boxes as they're very tightly sealed and there was no evidence of beetles inside. The infestation was relatively new as there were only a few holes in a few sticks for the moment and everything that was loose or in a box that didn't seal well is now in the freezer. If you think they could have gotten in the closed boxes, I may try to find some way to get all the sticks in the freezer (like I said, I've never personally dealt with these), but I'm pretty confident in my selective freezing method. Luckily, its getting cooler here so I don't have to worry about cooling down my humis again for a few months at least.

I guess I wouldn't take the chance. If they have started a cycle, cooler weather won't stop it. Freezing the cigars is cheap insurance. The little buggers scare me.

If you do rotate in and out of the freezer, take them all out and store them in a double plastic trash bag until you have space to put them in the freezer. That should keep the RH pretty stable. I wouldn't mix the ones you take out of the freezer with the ones that haven't been frozen yet... but that's just me.

[ReV]

I guess I wouldn't take the chance. If they have started a cycle, cooler weather won't stop it. Freezing the cigars is cheap insurance. The little buggers scare me.

If you do rotate in and out of the freezer, take them all out and store them in a double plastic trash bag until you have space to put them in the freezer. That should keep the RH pretty stable. I wouldn't mix the ones you take out of the freezer with the ones that haven't been frozen yet... but that's just me.

I'm with you on the not mixing, I'm just wondering if there is a decent enough chance that they got to all the cigars I have in closed boxes? Most of my cooler sticks were in closed and latched cigar boxes, most of which have a pretty tight seal on... are those sticks at risk from the beetles in the open part of the cooler? Is the 'wait and see game' too dangerous? Or are the odds in my favor that the sticks in the closed boxes are still OK and thus regularly checking on them for the next few months would be sufficient? To me, freezing those cigars would be like freezing the sticks in all your different humis when only one was infested.

[lement92]

make sure you check the boxes good though. i have heard of them eating through wooden boxes.

[CAJUNBLAZE]

Try the blue-ice pack thingys, I've heard tell they work. They are most efficient used in combination with beads to regulate the humdity as the ice pack sweats. YMMV.

So, you have heard of this working?
Is it searchable here, I couldn't find anything.

I would freeze my whole stash, even if I had to do in two or three stages. Rotate the ones in the freezer to the fridge, then place another batch in the freezer and so on.

Rich

[ReV]

So, you have heard of this working?
Is it searchable here, I couldn't find anything.

I would freeze my whole stash, even if I had to do in two or three stages. Rotate the ones in the freezer to the fridge, then place another batch in the freezer and so on.

Rich

Thats not a half bad idea, rotating freezer space.

[CAJUNBLAZE]

Thats not a half bad idea, rotating freezer space.

Thanks Rev, nice coming from a senior member!


Rich