Orion21 Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 Hola Everyone, After the recent birth of my daughter I took a week off work to enjoy her. Today I returned to my office and checked my Windeador. I opened a mixed box of cigars in an old Mag 50 Cab and found something really perplexing . . . I found a tiny white/clear looking bug crawling on one of my cigars. My heart dropped and I pulled all the cigars out and found no holes and about 5 additional bugs. Slowing I regained my wits and immediately ruled out tobacco beetles because from what I have seen of them (none in my own collection) they are black and much larger. So do I have some sort of mite? Wood mite maybe? They are too small to take a picture of and I have yet to check any other boxes. Should I be worried? Ideas? P.S. My wineador is kept at 59F and 63-65% rh
Lotusguy Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 Does sound like wood mites. Not uncommon and luckily, they don't eat the cigars.
Orion21 Posted September 11, 2012 Author Posted September 11, 2012 I figured as much, but I wanted to check with the brain trust here
brazoseagle Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 South Nor'Western Peruvian Albino Ghost Lice - Commonly Spread by Chupachabres and one eyed whistle fish.
Cohiba Stevie Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 I would be concerned, it could be tobbacco beetle larvae. If you know anybody with a decent digital camera with a macro lens they could maybe take a pic for you to upload to the forum for an expert to look it.
Orion21 Posted September 11, 2012 Author Posted September 11, 2012 I Googled pictures of both and what I squashed 100% did not look like tobacco beetle larvae. But if I find another one I will do my best to snap a pic of it.
Smallclub Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 I would be concerned, it could be tobbacco beetle larvae. No. The larvae spend their time eating. The day you can see them, it is already too late, cigars are devoured from within, and of course you can see the holes in the wrapper, they don't get out by the foot of the cigar…
Puros Y Vino Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 I've seen them before on an NC Davidoff. It was in cello from a retail five pack so I removed it and gave it a good wipe and froze the package for 5 days. I think the tobacco beetles are brownish is color. Maybe freeze the sticks from that cab?
Smallclub Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 I think the tobacco beetles are brownish is color. Yes but the larvae is white. And it's the larvae that eats the cigar.
Puros Y Vino Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 Yes but the larvae is white. And it's the larvae that eats the cigar. Oh Oh! Freeze away Aaron!! Just to be sure. However, given the storage conditions he's kept them at. They shouldn't have hatched. Unless he had them prior to his wineador and experienced warmer conditions for the cigars.
Cohiba Stevie Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 No. The larvae spend their time eating. The day you can see them, it is already too late, cigars are devoured from within, and of course you can see the holes in the wrapper, they don't get out by the foot of the cigar… Do you not think that explanation is a bit vague? Tobacco beetle larvae are exceptionally small, even a fully grown beetle is tiny, to assume every larva eats its way out of the cigar in a single way sounds a bit too open ended. I would still urge the original poster to be careful and at least freeze all the potentially infected stock.
Puros Y Vino Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 A few links: http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/cigarette-beetle http://www.tobacconistuniversity.org/faq/faq-tobacco-beetle.asp
Smallclub Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 Do you not think that explanation is a bit vague? Vague? I think I am perfectly clear. Giving advices when you can't tell the difference between mites and tobacco beetle, that is vague, may I respectfully say…
brazoseagle Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 Aaron. Congrats on the new baby girl by the way!!
Cohiba Stevie Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 Vague? I think I am perfectly clear. Giving advices when you can't tell the difference between mites and tobacco beetle, that is vague, may I respectfully say… I never definitively said that he had tobacco beetle or wood mites, I merely alluded to that fact it could be larvae and my advice was that he should be cautious.
Orion21 Posted September 11, 2012 Author Posted September 11, 2012 Ok, I got one! With the cell phone camera believe it or not!
Wil Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 Definitely wood mites. I have them from time to time and they are nothing to worry about.
canadianbeaver Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 It's threads like this that make me barf a little in my mouth.
brazoseagle Posted September 11, 2012 Posted September 11, 2012 South Nor'Western Peruvian Albino Ghost Lice - Commonly Spread by Chupachabres and one eyed whistle fish. I still stand by my earlier conclusion!
bolivr Posted September 12, 2012 Posted September 12, 2012 Look similar to the paper mites I had eating the inside of the gold wrapping on Bolivar GMs. They never harmed the tobacco luckily.
Smallclub Posted September 12, 2012 Posted September 12, 2012 Try to train them to battle the tobacco beetles!
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