found a single dead beetle. what to do

[traded]

Hey guys,

I just got back from my anniversary vacation with the dear wife. When I checked on my humidor, I noticed a speck that was a little too round to be dust or loose tobacco. it was sitting on a loose Monte 2. To my horror, it was a dead cigar beetle...brown..darkish brown. The temp was between 55-75 F while I was away.

About a week before I went away, I got a small shipment of singles from my old supplier. I wonder if it showed up already dead on the cigar and I somehow missed it????

I checked all of my cigars and boxes. No holes anywhere and no other beetles. Also, I didnt notice any dusting that I saw years back with my first infestation.

So, I need some input. What should I do?

Im sure I checked all of the cigars very carefully (I only have 250 or so cigars) and Im sure there are no holes or beetles outside of the cigars. I'm leaning towards a wait and see strategy. I can also go all out and freeze the lot, however, I hate the thought of needlessly traumatizing my cigars like that.

d

[bc8436]

I'd freeze the cigars. A lot of people freeze all incoming cigars with no adverse effects, better safe than sorry.

[maverickdrinker]

freeze everything!!!!

[Colt45]

remove expired beetle, smoke, enjoy.

[Holysmokes]

I would also freeze

[josie67]

I would freeze to be on the safe side..I freeze everything I get.

[goalie204]

Hi TradedDavid, i recently had the same thing. I found a hole in a siglo VI, and when i came home i found 2 dead beetles in the bottom of a RYJ dukes box. I immediately packaged up and froze all my cigars. Previous to this I didn't believe in freezing - and i still believe that even WITH freezing, beetles can still happen, and i know a brother on another board that it happened to. In order to sleep better at night tho, i chose to freeze all my cigars for over a week on my freezers coldest setting. I wouldn't be worried about "traumatizing" your cigars, because IMO this is b.s. I have smoked cigars for years that have been frozen, and ones that have not, and have found ZERO difference. I smoke cigars in other cities with brothers who swear by freezing and they are some of the best cigars. Look at it this way - even if freezing improves your chances of further beetle hatching, doing nothing - does nothing. So of the two choices, I see freezing as the more logical one, and the one that will give you better peace of mind.

[cigcars]

*For an unpleasant fact one must face, when I've found one beetle, there's usually more hiding somewhere. I don't like the inconvenience of it, yet what I do is sit down, take the humidor, painstakingly one by one tamp the cigars. If no dust/residue is coming out I place it by itself, & so on & so on. For the ones where residue and dust IS coming out - freezer bait. Then empty the humidor of everything and wipe it out, sprinkle it out, clean it out. Leave open for fresh air to get in. Then do the normal removing cigars out of freezer after 36 hours into the refridge for at least one day, then return to humidor. One note that should be adhered to: make SURE your cigars while in the fridge aren't exposed to onions, dressing dip, or other pungent items. Your cigar tobacco is highly absorbant and will retain those various food essences.

[El Presidente]

Assume the little bugger exited through the foot of one of your cigars ....after laying a couple of hundred eggs. Freeze away.

[goalie204]

I read on another board, where someone said to just freeze the box in question, but beetles can chew threw cigars, and cedar, they can certainly get out of a box and into another - everything must be frozen !

[beamer]

Any special way you thaw the cigars after freezing?

The freezing doesn't wreck the flavors?

[anacostiakat]

No. Typically you freeze at the proper temp for say 3 days, then remove to fridge for three days. Then remove to room temp for say 3 days and finally back to humi.

I do not normally freeze incoming. But your case is different obviously.

[SamuraiJack]

+1 on freezing

[stogieokie]

I have always heard that your basic home freezer doesn't get cold enough to crack the eggs. You need a commercial freezer that will get down to zero degrees.