Beetle Outbreak!
 

I was organizing the singles in my 100 ct humidor and I noticed some beetle damage on a couple of cigars and some beetle poop on the bottom of my humidor. I bagged the cigars up right away and have them acclimating in the fridge before the big freeze. My question is, while my cigars are in the deep freeze, what kind of treatment should I do to the inside of the humidor (it's spanish cedar lined) to make sure that I'm not putting beetle-free cigars back into a humidor that's still potentially infected with beetle eggs?

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

From my understanding just a distiller water cleaning is sufficient. Just the way you seasoned it from day one. You dint want to add chemicals to the mix as they will set in the cedar and become one with the wood.

Sorry about the beetle horrorfest. Hope the damage was minimal.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Yeah that really sucks man. I hope you get your humidor back in shape.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

As far as your humidor is concerned, just vacuum it out and you should be good to go. I hate hearing these stories as they make me paranoid. Good luck and I hope your able to recover well.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

I'm really sorry to hear about that. I think that is one of the nightmares of all cigar smokers. Good luck on getting everything straightened out.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Oh that sucks, man! Glad you caught it, though!! Hopefully your sticks will survive.

...crap. Now I'm twitching... gotta get home and inspect all of my sticks! ARG!

This should do the trick, Clayton. No need to re-season it.
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Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Scope your humi brother. I've heard beetles showing up under good conditions but be sure your hydrometer and temperature device is reading correctly.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

This is why I store each single in it's own 50qt cooler, cuts down on outbreaks but storage is a biotch:D

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

I heard that Listerine works better.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

See... You're supposed to store each cigar in it's own piece of air-tight tupperware, and then place the tupperware inside of the coolers. Helps cut down on the storage a bit. :D

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Do any of your cigars have holes? Did you actually see any beetles?

As for your humidor. Put it in the fridge for 24-48 hours, then the freezer for few days, back in the fridge for 24 hours and then let it come to temperature. Put your hydration element back on and go back to normal. I would not rush seasoning it and let the cigar humidify at a natural pace.

I say put the humidor in the fridge then freeze as some say right in the freezer could damage it. I had a 100% veneered humidor that went right into freeze with no issues. I would more concerned whether you actually have beetles if you do not see holes or beetles.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Damn it!!! Looks like I got hit too!!!! Two DPG (my blue and JJ Maduro) had holes. No other cigars showed signs. Thankfully I was going to smoke my Blue label tonight and found the damage. I now have every cigar bagged and in the freeze. Damn it, this sucks!!!!!! Also just sent out a trade which was received. I already PM'd him to let him know to recheck them - I checked before I sent - and didn't find signs.

Now to fix my humidor.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Pics? I dont know what beetle poop looks like, now i'm going to run and stare at my humis

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Not sure what beetle poop looks like either... but I do know what a cigar with beetle holes in it looks like :(

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

If you've seen termite poop, imagine that only much smaller and finer, like a fine, dark brown dirt, and you have beetle poop. If you suspect beetles are working on a cigar, tap it foot down on a piece of white paper. If that fine black powder comes sprinkling out, then you've got a big problem. The holes look like someone went at your cigar with a dentists' drill.

@ Moses, yes the first thing I noticed was the tell-tale beetle $hit at the bottom of my humi last week when I was putting some recent acquisitions at the bottom. I tried to dismiss it as paranoia, but then the other day I was looking for some smokes to pack up for our 4th of July weekend trip and I found a couples sticks with several holes in them. That was enough for me to give them all the freeze treatment.

As far as conditions go, the humidity is fine, I have a brand new, recently calibrated hygro and HCM beads so the humidor stays pegged at 65%. Temperature is another story. Summers in Southern California are hot and most houses on the coast don't have central air, so as long as I'm too broke for a vinotemp, the temperature is out of my control, and it isn't pretty. The coolest room in the house is at 75* and by the heat of summer it will be in the low 80's inside my humi. I've used the same humidor for almost 3 years and this is my first outbreak, so I guess I'm actually lucky. Been doing a lot of trading lately, so I guess the little buggers hitched a ride in a flat rate box:(

I have always avoided freezing cause I'm lazy, impatient and I was worried about ruining my cigars, but now that I've had to do my whole collection, it'll be a no brainer to do a quick freeze on all future purchases and trades.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

The beetle dilemma totally blows and I feel for you guys going thru it. Another sure sign of beetles, if the cigar is wrapped in cellophane, they will eat thru that too. Thats a pretty easy way to tell if you've been hit.

I love the tap over paper technique. Thats a great way tot tell as the loose tobacco from the burrowing out of holes will make its way onto the paper as well. Loose tobacco and poop = no dice on happy smoke.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Nope never seen termite poop. Been fortunate to keep those bastages away from my house!! But the first thing I noticed was the cigar I was going to smoke had those precision holes in it. I was like WTF? Did this thing get stuck with something? About that same second I realized precisely what it was and began frantically inspecting my collection. It is a meager beginner's collection so far, but I've taken time and plenty of money to get what I do have... and to loose it all now?

Any way. I only found one other with a hole - had a hole through the celo as well. No others had any holes or holes in celo at all. But I sweat to God, every ridge, bump, or imperfection in every cigar had me thinking larva beneath the wrapper.

I acclimated my sticks overnight in the fridge and now they are in the freezer. I'm going to get some more distilled water today and wipe it down, after vacuuming it.

What have I learned? 2 things: 1) find a new place for my humidor so that the temp won't go above 73 - harder than it sounds!! 2) get another humidor to place all new sticks in until after they've arrived and been frozen.

Optional 3rd - Get a wine cooler for a humidor.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Taking your advice and just ordered two wine coolers. I'm in Jersey and temperature swings are retarded around here. The house is so inconsistent. 92 in the day 61 at nite. The coolers were an investment but a necessary one. I'd rather have a few nice boxes for the price I paid but this is a necessary evil to keep my investment from going under.

Re: Beetle Outbreak!
 

Yeah, I'd really like one, too. Unfortunately, I simply don't have the coin. Plus, I'd like it to have drawers which would need to be customer made. :(.