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Tobacco beetle elimination

jlmartajlmarta Posts: 7,881 ✭✭✭✭✭
in Cigar 101
Hi, guys,
I've learned quite a bit about the pesky tobacco beetle and various ways to control or eliminate them but there's a concept I haven't seen addressed.
We've all read about keeping the temperature in our humidors below 71 degrees fahrenheit and a lot of us have heard about freezing newly received sticks for a few days to a week and then thawing them slowly in the refrigerator for a few more days, but here's an idea I haven't seen addressed before.

I'm pretty sure Kuzi and some of you other guys who know a lot more about cigars than I do can give me some insight into this notion: why couldn't newly received cigars be "nuked" in the microwave for a short period of time to kill off any hitchhiking tobacco beetles lurking within? A microwave doesn't hurt paper plates or paper towels, what would be so different about some cigars?

Has anyone tried this? Are there any definitive answers or results of such a test available? I'd sure be interested in knowing how such a test turned out.

Thanks for any help you guys can provide,

Marty

Comments

  • alienmisprintalienmisprint Posts: 3,964 ✭✭✭
    I'm pretty sure that would mess up the cigar. The microwave would heat the moisture inside the tobacco, essentially cooking the tobacco.
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    id go the other way. If you have access to a freezer that gets well below zero then i would stash em in there for 5 or so days. if you dont have access to that kind of freezer then heating them will do the trick as well.... but you have to be VERY careful when you do that, and i dont recommend it.

    the way you would do it would be to heat the oven up to 165 and put the cigars in there for about 10 minutes. just long enough to get 100% of the cigar up to that heat. this will kill every thing in or on the cigar. if you split or ruin good cigars dont say i didnt warn you.



    or you could just buy higher end sticks from good companies. they fumigate.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • brsmith21brsmith21 Posts: 207
    kuzi16:

    or you could just buy higher end sticks from good companies. they fumigate.

    Words of wisdom.
  • xmacroxmacro Posts: 3,402 ✭
    I've got a bit of a question - If my humidor is kept below 70% humidity, but the temperature inside is 73 during the day, 70 at night - what's my risk of infestation? I live in Florida, but the humidity in my room is around 50% or so, and my humidor is just kept on one of my bookcase shelves (I live in a condo, so there's no basement or anything like that).
  • gmill880gmill880 Posts: 5,947 ✭
    None--Dont worry about infestation until about 79-80
  • jlmartajlmarta Posts: 7,881 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The problem isn't humidity - it's temperature. There was a great article in Cigar Magazine a few quarters ago regarding tobacco beetles. One of the main points was that the beetles are inactive below 71 degrees fahrenheit but, above that, they can move about and look for mates, etc.

    Keeping your humi below 71 degrees is critical in preventing them from mating but won't do anything to kill the little pests already in existence.

    Marty

  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    jlmarta:
    The problem isn't humidity - it's temperature. There was a great article in Cigar Magazine a few quarters ago regarding tobacco beetles. One of the main points was that the beetles are inactive below 71 degrees fahrenheit but, above that, they can move about and look for mates, etc.

    Keeping your humi below 71 degrees is critical in preventing them from mating but won't do anything to kill the little pests already in existence.

    Marty

    I don't know if I believe that. I have had my temp about 75 or so with a 67/70 rh and no problems. I guess if you have cigars that are egg filled then perhaps, but it's tough to keep that temp below 71 in the summer.
  • jlmartajlmarta Posts: 7,881 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I'm just passing along what I read in Cigar Magazine. It was the Summer, 2008 issue - the one with Vince Curatola on the cover. Don't take my word for it - look it up and read it for yourself. It's a very informative article but, to my recollection, it doesn't address nuking your sticks in order to kill off the vermin.
  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Posts: 7,347 ✭✭✭
    yeah nuking 'em might be a little rough..
  • gmill880gmill880 Posts: 5,947 ✭
    jlmarta:
    I'm just passing along what I read in Cigar Magazine. It was the Summer, 2008 issue - the one with Vince Curatola on the cover. Don't take my word for it - look it up and read it for yourself. It's a very informative article but, to my recollection, it doesn't address nuking your sticks in order to kill off the vermin.

    Yeah that was a god issue I believe I still have it as well---Vince is a cool customer in my book ...
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296 ✭
    jlmarta:
    The problem isn't humidity - it's temperature. There was a great article in Cigar Magazine a few quarters ago regarding tobacco beetles. One of the main points was that the beetles are inactive below 71 degrees fahrenheit but, above that, they can move about and look for mates, etc.

    Keeping your humi below 71 degrees is critical in preventing them from mating but won't do anything to kill the little pests already in existence.

    Marty

    I disagree. I have had this problem twice. The second humidor that had the problem was probably only 71 - 72 degrees but would sometimes hit 78% - 79% rh. Temp and or rh too high can cause the problem.
  • jlmartajlmarta Posts: 7,881 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Like I said, read the article and then argue with me...
  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i did read the article.

    i am still willing to argue.

    i have my humidor at 65% RH constantly. in the summer my humidor can get damn near 80. i have not lost a stick yet.

    they do need humidity to fly and made. temp to be active.
    they typically hatch in conditions over 73°F, with high humidity. they do not survive in very dry or very cold air.

    most smokers will keep the humidity in the humidor somewhere between 65% and 70%. this is constant. this is why many think that the beetles hatch at 75*F if you are at 75*f but at 5% RH they wont hatch. and if they did, they would not survive. they are mainly a warmer, moister kind of climate insect.
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • jlmartajlmarta Posts: 7,881 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Kuzi, I respect your knowledge of most anything regarding cigars so I won't disagree with what you say - I'll simply point out that the article I'm (in essence) quoting is based on temperature, not humidity. Besides, it was rwheelright who seemed to be challenging my point and whom I was trying to get to read the article, not anyone else.

    Aside from that, I'll point out that the path of these responses is leading away from my original question, i.e., is microwaving a person's cigars a safe and reasonable way to eliminate the little buggers? So far, a few opinions have been offered (which I appreciate) but no definitive proof one way or the other.

    Marty

  • kuzi16kuzi16 Posts: 14,633 ✭✭✭✭
    i know what you are saying.

    dont just take my word on everything. I dont know everything when it comes to cigars.


    since the humidity in a humidor is ALWAYS in the range where the tobacco beetle can/will hatch, in essence, the temp is the only factor we really have to deal with. take away humidity control and let it sink to 30% and not only will we not have beetles, but we wont have cigars either. whats the point of eradicating the beetles if the cigars are still ruined?
    Kuzi's Forum Links Page
  • rwheelwrightrwheelwright Posts: 3,296 ✭
    jlmarta:
    Kuzi, I respect your knowledge of most anything regarding cigars so I won't disagree with what you say - I'll simply point out that the article I'm (in essence) quoting is based on temperature, not humidity. Besides, it was rwheelright who seemed to be challenging my point and whom I was trying to get to read the article, not anyone else.

    Aside from that, I'll point out that the path of these responses is leading away from my original question, i.e., is microwaving a person's cigars a safe and reasonable way to eliminate the little buggers? So far, a few opinions have been offered (which I appreciate) but no definitive proof one way or the other.

    Marty

    I didn't read the article but I know form experience not just research. I had a beetle outbreak in the winter (my room was around 70 - 72). My humidity was way high in that humidor. All other humis were at the same temp since they are in the same room but their humidity levels were much lower. Maybe I was an exception but this is what happened to me. I guess if you really want I can get myself a humi or tupperdor or something like it, keep the humudity lower and really raise the temps and see what happens. I just prefer not to deal with the problem ever again. That's why I freeze almost everything I get in before I put it in the humidor. Oh, and I'm not trying to argue just sharing my experience with my situation.
  • jihiggsjihiggs Posts: 469 ✭✭
    I also can only speak from experience. (which in my opinion is much more valuable than an article). I was in transition between homes for about a week a couple summers ago. durring that time I had all my stuff in my freinds garage. He didnt want his kids to see my cigars so I was forced to leave them in the garage. I estimate it was close to 90 degrees in there for a couple days. I knew there might be a problem, but durring this time I was so pre occupied with many other things and so stressed out I just put my faith in the makers of the cigars hoping they took care of the beetles. I got moved into my new place, which is on the 3rd floor with no AC, where they stayed at 80 degrees for another few days. I was more worried about mold than beetles so when I got time I inspected each stick, I had one box as I opened it, a beetle flew out. I could not find any sign of damage on any cigar, even though they spent more than a week over 80 degrees. all the while they (should) have been around 68* humidity. so there you go, make your own conclusions. in case your wondering, it only gets that hot in the seattle area for a couple weeks, the rest of the summer is all 70s : )
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