WTF?! Beetles? Seriously?

[sofc]

Most household freezers won't cool them fast enough to cause issue, but if you're concerned you can always go fridge first for a few hours to let them stabilize and then give them the cold treatment

I am not concerned at all. Never frozen my cigars. Just what I was told by people who do.

 

[Lomey]

I've only had beetles once and that's when I first really got into cigars. I kept them in the family room so I could admire them and it got to 75° and sure enough, beetles. Moved them to the sub basement that never gets above 68°. Haven't had a problem since. I now go down every day to admire them .

Btw, I do freeze the cigars I bring home from a little place in Key West I get every year because I know they don't have the resources to "treat" them, if that's the right term.

I feel for you brother.

 

[Zigarro]

Most household freezers won't cool them fast enough to cause issue, but if you're concerned you can always go fridge first for a few hours to let them stabilize and then give them the cold treatment

This is true; most home freezers don't work quickly enough to be of concern....

 

[Almi]

A chart that I found and saved with both F and C

Freezing to kill pest.

Egg

-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

5 F / -15 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 4 hr

14 F / -10 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 12 hr

23 F / -5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 48 hr

32 F / 0 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 240 hr

41 / 5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 336 hr

Larval

-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

5 F / -15 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 3 hr

14 F / -10 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 12 hr

23 F / -5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 96 hr

32 F / 0 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 288 hr

41 F / 5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 336 hr

Acclimated Larval (acclimated at 59 F / 15 Celsius for 3 months to determine acclimation impact if any)

-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

5 F / -15 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 6 hr

14 F / -10 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 24 hr

23 F / -5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 504 hr

32 F / 0 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1176 hr

41 F / 5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1680 hr


Pupal

-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

5 F / -15 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 4 hr

14 F / -10 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 48 hr

23 F / -5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 288 hr

32 F / 0 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 840 hr

Adult

-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

5F / -15 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 2 hr

14 F / -10 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 2 hr

23 F / -5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 72 hr

32 F / 0 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 288 hr

41 F / 5 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 840 hr

 

[Bondo 440]

Anything above 72* and you're at a substantially higher risk for beetles, at 70* they can still hatch, but less likely. Below 70* and *in theory* you should be safe. Freezing is the best way to be sure as it cracks the carapace and kills them. 36 hours in the freezer then a day in the fridge, followed by 12 hours at room temperature will get you back to being able to put them in the humi. Make sure you double bag them as well before going in the freezer, and as someone mentioned, if you can re humidify them separate from the humidor that's even better so they don't drop the RH in the humidor when you reintroduce them to your other sticks.

This is law right here. The only thing I can add is that some advise wiping the wineador or humidor with alcohol to kill any eggs. I can see this being practical in a wineador, but in a box I'd probably blow the cracks out with compressed air. In your case Mossy, you should freeze all, as suggested, and move to a tupperdor solution after the freeze process for like a week so you can ensure your box is ok.

I have gotten lax lately. I used to take every order from a vendor and every trade that I received from a BOTL, and after inspection, 2x bag and put immediately in a freezer for two days. And this is a downstairs dedicated freezer, not a fridge. So it's not like people were opening it up periodically to regulate the freeze cycle. Never have I seen it damage a cigar. I have however, moved them 1 day to the fridge, before placing them back in the humi. Don't think I have ever gone from freezer directly to humi.

 

[herfdog]

A chart that I found and saved with both F and C

Freezing to kill pest.

Egg
-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

Larval
-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

Acclimated Larval (acclimated at 59 F / 15 Celsius for 3 months to determine acclimation impact if any)
-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr


Pupal
-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr


Adult
-4 F / -20 degrees C Time to 100% mortality 1 hr

Key here is: any condition mortality rate is 1hr when dropping to -4F/-20C
So, just make sure the sticks goes internally to a -4F temp and you're good to go. A single day in the freezer should do that nicely if your freezer goes low enough (some are less cold. Mine does a -19C, my previous was -10C or nearing 14F - look how quick the time increase with only those few degrees)

-20C is actually rather high (as in, not that cold) compared to some temps we had naturally outside here this winter... so I'd think "any" exposure to canadian winter pretty much prevent infestation straight ahead! ROFL

Beware however of freezer burn: while its good to prevent infestation, too low a temperature exposition for too long periods does damage the sticks (or meat, or whatever) and be sure to avoid direct contact with ice.

 

[SeaGarr]

The mailman does it for us free of charge during winter here in canada!

That's funny Dog - but also a strategy.

Generally speaking - I try to do all my cigar shopping Jan through March. I can't smoke... so I buy.

The thing about shopping then is, it has the uncanny effect of providing me frozen cigars . I never have to put my cigars into the freezer as USPS or whoever has already provided me that service (helps justify any shipping I might incur lol). By the time late March arrives, I begin digging into cigars that are over a year old (if I can hold off smoking my new sticks). By the time May/June rolls around, most of my collection is well rested and ready to go.

Works for me - and is easy to do once you start building a large enough collection.

Note - I do have a humi that I keep both B&M sticks in, and those sticks that I just had to have that I might buy in the summer. But anymore that happens less and less.

I recommend "the system" if you can. It's a great way of ensuring you don't smoke prematurely, and you get the benefit of pre-frozen sticks. You might need to budget for the big spend though lol.

 

[jmartins]

Generally speaking like Yan said in Canada in the winter months the mail service does it for us. It still does not change that all cigars are bagged and deep freezed for 1 week. Yes it seems excessive but I prefer the better safe then sorry motto. I would be freezer bagging all sticks in the humidor and sending them for an ice nap. Just my process.

 

[Mossome]

In a way, I'm kinda glad this beetle situation happened. I view it as a wake up call. I figured freezing would be the recommended solution, and I'm going to quarantine and freeze everything in the humidor. Going forward though, how much of that is overkill? I agree with ensuring the safety of my sticks, but I've also read in past threads that guys also swear that freezing negatively affects the flavor. Should I freeze all the sticks or just the naked ones? Does cellophane offer protection against contamination? Should I just ship my entire collection to Montreal and have herfdog send most of it back in a week or so?

 

[TraderCigarCo.]

This thread is utterly eye opening and terrifying. I've often heard about beetles, but never really knew anyone that experienced them. Not I'm going to be thinking about my sticks all day...... FML.

 

[herfdog]

@jmartins don't you get freezeburn or flavors issue with a whole week in the deep freezer?
As posted earlier, as soon as the cigar is at -20C for an hour you're all set. I used to think a whole 24 hours was needed, but wouldn't go a whole week.

@Mossome flavour wise, some company do the beetle-prevention freeze anyway, It is safe to say that short-term infestation control freezing is OK. I'd be worried for longer periods of freezer. The sticks I receive that traveled in cold weather don't have any flavour issues. Except the not-so-flavorful ones, or the ones out of my pallate, lol, but that's a different story.

I've seen pictures of beetle-holes in cellophane. I used to think that cellophane beetle-shields, but they're not. Freeze everything. Nuke it from orbit, its the only way to be sure.

 

[sofc]

I have heard people say:

• Freezing at such and such a temperature for this length or that length of time. (different disagreeing opinions)
• Fridge first and then freeze and then fridge and back to humi.

I could go on but I won't. There are many different opinions even from real cigar experts that it's confusing to say the least.

I have been on BOTL for a while and in that time, have had people talk about beetles in their humi only a handful of times. With all the people on here and all the cigar smoking people that those people know, beetles are is very rare. With all the humidity, temperature, storage questions that arise, it's hard to believe everyone keeps their humidors with the perfect optimal setup.

 

[Bruce T.]

It would need to be colder than 70 degrees. They can last in colder temps than that, but keeping them cool is always better. Also, the material, is it solid spanish cedar, or just a veneer? That would make a big difference.

I have never heard of the type of wood affecting beetle infestation. Can someone enlighten me?

Bruce.

 

[Mossome]

My understanding is that the oils in cedar are irritating to insects and acts as a repellant. That's why you store clothes in a cedar chest to keep moths from damaging them, and why I assumed cigars were stored in cedar boxes as well. It doesn't kill the bugs, just keeps them out. I assume also that a solid cedar box would have more oils, and more effectively repel insects, than a veneered one would. Am I thinking correctly?

 

[sofc]

The bugs are already in the cigars, just not hatched. I do not think they're coming from outside the boxes.

 

[Mossome]

My thoughts as well. I haven't really noticed a large tobacco beetle population around the house, so I wasn't sure what difference a larger amount of cedar in the humidor would do.

 

[sofc]

Tobacco beetle eggs are found in the tobacco of the cigars. That is where they hatch from: inside out.

 

[jmartins]

I have never had any issues with flavour or with freezer burn. The trick is freezer bags and suck all the air out. Seems to work perfectly for me and I have never had issues.

 

[Mossome]

I have never had any issues with flavour or with freezer burn. The trick is freezer bags and suck all the air out. Seems to work perfectly for me and I have never had issues.

Have you ever tried the vacuum sealing bags? I'm wondering if that would work or if it would damage the cigars. I'm also contemplating suspending them below the shelf rack with a clip so they won't be resting against a cold surface and hopefully prevent any freezer burn.

 

[sofc]

Vaccuum sealing bags will damage cigars not in boxes if you take all the air out.