Tobacco Beetle Experiences

[craig]

Mine were untreated cigars - fake Cubans, and, once, a bundle from an Internet vendor.

Once there was a supply-chain issue - e.g., a few folks had problems with Graycliff 1666 last year. Both of the ones I had, had holes. (The 1666 is not made where the rest of the Graycliffs are made)

Its kind of like cedar-wrapped cigars and mold - you can worry about it and do something, or not worry about it.


What? You didn't know mold grows under those little cedar sheets that some manufacturer's wrap their cigars in?

[big bill]

Recieved a 5er Gurkha's and inspecting before putting in humi found 3 to 4 little holes in two of the cigars being a newbie and not belonging to this forum yet called distributor they said to freeze and they cedited my acount.

[heftysmokes]

Miscommumication resulted in 50 count humi left in a hot van for a number of days during a move. Everything went into dumpster

[Smoked!]

Can I vote twice?

1. My first beetle experience involved a humi I had in long-term storage. (Why? Because I'm a monkey - that's why.) The contents were turned into mulch. I kept no cigars on hand for many years.

2. Several years after the first incident, I decided to again keep a few sticks around my office. In '07, I received a box purchased from a very popular on-line vendor. There was evidence of beetles. Not knowing how to handle such an event, I turned to the internet for information. Brilliant! Fortunately, I discovered this forum while searching for beetle control information. There are several mentions on the board of possible solutions and good information on proper storage to help prevent such occurrences. Once the second small problem was managed, I had no further beetle incidents.

I wouldn't worry too much about beetles. Enjoy the hobby and deal with the small problems if they arise.

[SMEG]

I keep my coolidor in the basement. It usually runs around 70-73 temp and 70 humidity. I barely have any humidification sponges in their either. Is that a problem? Will my cigars start to get that basement smell and taste? Am I more at risk for beetles because I keep my sticks in the basement?

U

[ashauler]

I keep my coolidor in the basement. It usually runs around 70-73 temp and 70 humidity. I barely have any humidification sponges in their either. Is that a problem? Will my cigars start to get that basement smell and taste? Am I more at risk for beetles because I keep my sticks in the basement?

U

Not having the proper humidity is indeed a problem. 70% is a little high for my smoking preferences, but is the rh% that I use for aging. At 70% I experience too much wrapper splitting, so I keep my smoking humis at 60-65 %.

If your cooler seals well, the outside environment shouldn't affect the cigars at all, imo.

No, the lower temps are the protection against beetles. The higher the temp in your cooler the more chance for beetles to hatch......so you're better off with it in the basement, imo.

[ggiese]

I keep my coolidor in the basement. It usually runs around 70-73 temp and 70 humidity. I barely have any humidification sponges in their either. Is that a problem? Will my cigars start to get that basement smell and taste? Am I more at risk for beetles because I keep my sticks in the basement?

U

No worries - as long as the coolidor seals well. And I store my cigars in discarded cedar cigar boxes I pick up from my local B&M. They all smoke incredibly well after storage.

[Eville]

I have only experienced beetles in my nightmares, thankfully.

[Mangyrat]

With summer coming on I do get a little concerned with shipping cigars and having them sit in a hot mail truck or warehouse for 4 to 7 days.

[ndv21]

I haven't had a problem yet but as the weather is beginning to change, I think I am going to adopt the practice of keeping my humidors between 60-65. I find that they smoke well at that humidity.

[SPEEDRACER]

Mine were untreated cigars - fake Cubans, and, once, a bundle from an Internet vendor.

Once there was a supply-chain issue - e.g., a few folks had problems with Graycliff 1666 last year. Both of the ones I had, had holes. (The 1666 is not made where the rest of the Graycliffs are made)

Its kind of like cedar-wrapped cigars and mold - you can worry about it and do something, or not worry about it.


What? You didn't know mold grows under those little cedar sheets that some manufacturer's wrap their cigars in?

Are some cigars somehow treated for beetles at the factory? Or is this in reference to them not being home treated (freezing, etc)? I only ask because this mentions "untreated cigars" and I've never heard of any that were treated..?

[SPEEDRACER]

And for the record, I chose the last option, BUT it was several years ago, and I only had 5 or 6 cigars stored in a mason jar at the time so "destroying everything" wasn't much of a loss...