Tobacco beetles

[smbauerllc]

Have any of you ever had tobacco beetles?

 

In 15 years I have never frozen any Cigars and have never had tobacco beetles.

 

Just curious how many people have had them since I know that a lot of people freeze all their new arrivals

 

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[Tdm_86]

Never had beetles in over 15 years. I’ve never frozen anything either. It might just be luck.

[smbauerllc]

  On 8/15/2021 at 3:59 PM, Tdm_86 said:

Never had beetles in over 15 years. I’ve never frozen anything either. It might just be luck.

I'm starting to doubt it is luck based on the responses I'm getting on the boards I posted this on.

One member has been smoking Cigars for 45 years and has 1000 Cigars on hand and has never frozen any and never had a problem.

I would say that carries a lot of weight

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[Bagman]

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:02 PM, smbauerllc said:

I would say that carries a lot of weight

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No.  It just states that they have successfully kept their cigars in the right temperature range. While chances are low, if the power ever goes out and your temps spike, your luck could run out.

Not saying freezing is required, but I'm sure glad my stock was frozen during our last heat wave.  Had the power gone out, my room would have been in the 90's for days.

[smbauerllc]

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:33 PM, Monterey said:

No.  It just states that they have successfully kept their cigars in the right temperature range. While chances are low, if the power ever goes out and your temps spike, your luck could run out.
Not saying freezing is required, but I'm sure glad my stock was frozen during our last heat wave.  Had the power gone out, my room would have been in the 90's for days.

I've had my cigars just below and just above, 70 degrees for many years and never had a problem.

And there were times I either had no air conditioning at all or the power was out for days, and still never had a problem

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[Bagman]

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:37 PM, smbauerllc said:

I've had my cigars just below and just above, 70 degrees for many years and never had a problem.

And there were times I either had no air conditioning at all or the power was out for days, and still never had a problem

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Thats wonderful, glad it worked out.

[BeerPimp]

I have been smoking cigars for 20+ years mostly NC but switched to CC 3 years ago.  I can say I never have seen a beetle.

[smbauerllc]

Will also say that I have been told that freezing is only effective when it's negative 20 degrees or lower (which home freezers cant achieve), for 72 hours minimum.

Also a CA article from 2006 was posted that talks about the Cubans freezing all cigars that are going to be exported.

Here's the article:

Havana Corner: Freezing in Havana | Cigar Aficionado

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[Jimmy_jack]

Y’all must be bored

[smbauerllc]

  On 8/15/2021 at 5:40 PM, Jimmy_jack said:

Y’all must be bored

@Jimmy_jack

Why do you say that?

Seems like an good, important information topic to me, but its my thread so maybe I'm biased

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[Nino]

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:43 PM, BeerPimp said:

 I can say I never have seen a beetle.

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I can help you out ...

[smbauerllc]

  On 8/15/2021 at 5:59 PM, Nino said:

I can help you out ...

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Dang.
That's a lot of damage from such tiny bugs

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[Chas.Alpha]

Stuff of nightmares...😲

[Cairo]

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:33 PM, Monterey said:

Had the power gone out, my room would have been in the 90's for days.

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Agreed--it really depends where you live.    I live in a high elevation location, keep the cigars in tupperdors in a sheltered closet in a north facing room.   Even if the power went out the temperature would rarely get above 80 degrees, and in the twenty years or so we have lived here (with the cigars in the closet)😀 the only power outages we have had is in the winter, so it is not surprising I have had no beetles.

[Tdm_86]

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:33 PM, Monterey said:

No.  It just states that they have successfully kept their cigars in the right temperature range. While chances are low, if the power ever goes out and your temps spike, your luck could run out.

Not saying freezing is required, but I'm sure glad my stock was frozen during our last heat wave.  Had the power gone out, my room would have been in the 90's for days.

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Agreed, I do keep my cigars in a VERY stable environment. My long term storage is weather tight bins with 65% Bovedas, that are kept in my cellar that is always 19°C. And I do mean always. My ready to smoke humidor is set to the same temperature and I keep that around 63% RH. 

[Bagman]

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:47 PM, smbauerllc said:

Will also say that I have been told that freezing is only effective when it's negative 20 degrees or lower (which home freezers cant achieve), for 72 hours minimum.

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Incorrect.

Assuming -20c, the total freeze time would need to be 1 hour, not 72.

Most home fridges can get to 0F.  Standard chest freezers can go even further.  Rarely would you need to go beyond 2 days.  Assuming you don't see bugs already, here are the times needed

-

-20°C (-4°F) Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

-15°C (5°F) Time to 100% mortality 6 hr

-10°C (14°F) Time to 100% mortality 24 hr

-5°C (23°F) Time to 100% mortality 504 hr

0°C (32°F) Time to 100% mortality 1176 hr

5°C (41°F) Time to 100% mortality 1680 hr

 

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:47 PM, smbauerllc said:

Also a CA article from 2006 was posted that talks about the Cubans freezing all cigars that are going to be exported.

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I regularly believe everything the cuban government tells me.

Course they didn't mention frequent power outages or storing frozen boxes next to tobacco that hasn't been frozen.  A completely killed off box can easily be infested if placed later next to a box that had a bug.

Last time I was in Cuba, one of the LCDH's were closed to "fumigation".  Awesome.  And yes, all boxes, per Cuba are frozen.  For export or sold on the island.  This particular LCDH didn't have customs made (customs aren't frozen).  So if they only bring in frozen boxes that are "100% good to go" and nothing else, why did they close the store for fumigating?

You place a lot of trust in what the Cuban government tell you.

[El Presidente]

  On 8/15/2021 at 7:41 PM, Monterey said:

I regularly believe everything the cuban government tells me.

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HSA runs the facility. 

I haven't seen a live beetle in a box of cigars from a HSA mastercase since 2005. 

That is over 250,000 boxes ago. 

[SCgarman]

  On 8/15/2021 at 4:47 PM, smbauerllc said:

Will also say that I have been told that freezing is only effective when it's negative 20 degrees or lower (which home freezers cant achieve), for 72 hours minimum.

Also a CA article from 2006 was posted that talks about the Cubans freezing all cigars that are going to be exported.

Here's the article:

Havana Corner: Freezing in Havana | Cigar Aficionado

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48 hours in a chest freezer is plenty adequate for freezing boxes. Most of these freezers will easily maintain -10 F and they are usually a few hundred dollars and are worth every penny if you buy meats in bulk and store them frozen.

[Meesterjojo]

  On 8/15/2021 at 5:59 PM, Nino said:

I can help you out ...

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That just makes me ill to look at.

 

I've never had those, but I have had wood mites from a box of epi 2s. Froze them and they were fine after they reacclimated.

[amberleaf]

Had an outbreak in a box of SLR Regios brought back from the island, a last minute blind purchase from the airport with my remaining CUCs. Tossed 5 sticks, froze the rest and they smoked fine.

 

[rjake100]

I choose to believe that all my cigars arrive to my house without any viable beetle. I buy NCs from a variety of US retailers and I buy CC from FoH and a couple other big names. It doesn't matter how hot my storage conditions get since I don't think I have viable eggs/larvae coming into the casa. I'm not lucky enough to bring in cigars directly from the island.

[riderpride]

Lost a Cuaba Piramides from a box purchased in Cuba. Froze them when i got home, and hatched after i removed it from the coolerdor to the smoking humidor after 7 years. I had the satisfaction of squishing that bastard but can't find any pics of that one.

 

Also lost a Mag 46 purchased from a trusted vendor in the Asia Pacific region - Mar '13 I believe. That was also frozen and hatched after 6 years. Never found that guy.

 

[Nino]

  On 8/15/2021 at 7:41 PM, Monterey said:

Incorrect. Assuming -20c, the total freeze time would need to be 1 hour, not 72.

Course they didn't mention frequent power outages or storing frozen boxes next to tobacco that hasn't been frozen.  A completely killed off box can easily be infested if placed later next to a box that had a bug.

Last time I was in Cuba, one of the LCDH's were closed to "fumigation".  Awesome.  So if they only bring in frozen boxes that are "100% good to go" and nothing else, why did they close the store for fumigating?

You place a lot of trust in what the Cuban government tell you.

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My rule of thumb for freezing cigars I bring from Cuba is 4 days in the freezer at minus 20 C.

That "fumigation" you witnessed in Havana is not against tobacco beetles but against the mosquitos that transmit the Zika virus and happens regularly in stores, homes, apartments etc. It is performed by the Ejercito del Trabajo, a military dept.

I wouldn't trust the Cuban gvt - but I have been to the Guanabacoa warehouse where HSA freezes the export boxes and it looked fine.

[rodrigodeanda]

I bought some cigars yesterday from a local B&M and when I arrived at my house I notice a little hole in one cigar, it is the first time I have seen in one of my cigars 😖, I already put it in the freezer and will leave it there for 48 hours. 

[Nino]

  On 8/25/2021 at 7:17 AM, rodrigodeanda said:

I bought some cigars yesterday from a local B&M and when I arrived at my house I notice a little hole in one cigar, it is the first time I have seen in one of my cigars 😖, I already put it in the freezer and will leave it there for 48 hours. 

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Make that 4 days at minus 20C to be on the safe side, and do it with all other cigars you bought from that B&M, not just with the "hole" one ...