How does this happen??

[RBOrrell]

Hey guys. I've been in a pissy mood for the last few days. Let me tell you what's happened....

My current storage layout is a 21 bottle Honeywell wine cooler - 65 degrees and 67% according to the digital. I've had it since November and it's working great. I also have two desktop humidors. My original is a 75 count and the second is a glass-top 100 count. Both are using 70% beads and I am pretty anal about checking them. My sticks have never dried out and are not over humid.

2008 was a light year for purchase for me, mostly because I had a contract coming up and figured that I would be out of work towards the end of the year (which I still am). So I have had some small purchases and participated in a couple of trades with some BOTLs here and the previous location. My last acquisitions was a box pass in November and a prize for a contest around the same time.

Most times I document on the cigar where it came from, what it is and when I got it. This is either a low-tack sticker on the cello or a blank band that I add. So, I know where and when I put something in the humidors.

So, last week, I was looking in the glass top and I saw movement. I opened it up and I found a bug with wings. Could this be a beetle that has matured I asked myself? How could it, some of these sticks have been in there since July 2007 and some from early 2008. So, I got concerned and started looking with my damn reading glasses and lo an behold, I start seeing cigars with holes. I went to the kitchen and grabbed some big zip-lock bags and got them into the freezer. I took them out and they have sat in a refrigderator for a day and now they are sitting at room tempurature.

Meanwhile, I completly wiped out the humidor, cleaned it with fresh distilled water, re-charged the beads and it is now waiting for them to return at a steady 68%.

I just sat down with the cigars now that they have warmed up and I have 10 with visible beetle damage. They really like Rocky Patel - they got 5 - OWR Corojo robustos, 2 - Vintage 1992 torpedoes and 1 Vintage 1992 toro. Plus a 5 Vegas belicoso and another stick that I have had so long I do not know what it was or when I got it. The newest cigar in that group was acquired in January 2008.

So my question to the brain trust of this group.... how the hell does this happen? Do beetle eggs lay dormant for months - maybe years and then wake up? I thought I did everything right.

My next steps though. I have separated the infected ones from the ones that appear to be okay (for now I hope). Once the clean ones are back in their home, I will quarantine the infected ones in an old tupperdor and they will be religated to lawn cutting duty or crapy golf courses - unless they taste like the beetle crap that is inside. I will then go to the second humidor and check each one there with my damn reading glasses. if I find any hint of a problem, I will go through the same process that I just did. I will also do the same with the contents of the wine cooler.

I will also establish a procedure when a new acquisition comes in by doing a freeze for a couple of days before they are integrated with the rest. Am I now over-cautious?

I'll tell you... 2009 better get better soon because it has sucked so far.

I'm pretty sure all cigars will come with beetle eggs. Just the nature of the beast. Usually eggs hatch when the temps rise above 75F. If your temp control on your honeywell is correct than the culprit might lie with something you've received recently. However, since there are 10 cigars with damage those little buggers could have been at it for awhile, perhaps before November.

I think freezing them, as opposed to putting them in the fridge, kills the live bugs. I personally don't think that freezing them kills the eggs, but what do I know. Just make sure your temp stays below 75F. Good luck and hope 2009 is better than 2008.

[Don Fernando]

the fridge won't work, freeze them.

[borndead1]

Bag them up and freeze them ALL -- every cigar in the contaminated box. Blow out the humidor with computer duster (canned air).

24 hrs fridge
72 hrs freezer
24 hrs fridge
Back in the humi

Same thing happened to me once bro. Now I just freeze every single cigar I get, no matter where it's from.

[Tio Gato]

Beetles love warm temperatures. (70 degrees F and up) Maybe they enjoyed the heat on in the house and decided to hatch. That's my worse nightmare. I have a dream that I open my humi and it's swarming with bugs.

When you freeze the cigars make sure you get them down to below zero fahrenheit for at least three full days. Let them thaw in the 'fridge for three or four more days. Let them gently come back to room temp before you fire one up.

I've read some advice that the infected humidor should be frozen too. I did it when one of mine was infected. I don't know if it does anything, but it gave me some piece of mind at least. Good Luck!

Personally I'd throw away the infected ones. They'll be full of holes and smoke like sh**, and might tasted like it to consider you'd be smoking beetle sh**.

Originally Posted by Tio Gato

Beetles love warm temperatures. (70 degrees F and up) Maybe they enjoyed the heat on in the house and decided to hatch. That's my worse nightmare. I have a dream that I open my humi and it's swarming with bugs.

When you freeze the cigars make sure you get them down to below zero fahrenheit for at least three full days. Let them thaw in the 'fridge for three or four more days. Let them gently come back to room temp before you fire one up.

I've read some advice that the infected humidor should be frozen too. I did it when one of mine was infected. I don't know if it does anything, but it gave me some piece of mind at least. Good Luck!

[shilala]

Originally Posted by RBOrrell

Do beetle eggs lay dormant for months - maybe years and then wake up?

Yup. Happens all the time in bug world.
Freezing kills lots of bug eggs, but for different bugs it has to get lots colder than the house freezer before they're done in.

[karmaz00]

man sorry to hear that...freeze them for 2 days, the fridge for 24 hrs, then room temp.

[mosesbotbol]

The eggs can stay dormant for years from what I have been told. There's something for keeping boxes sealed.

[michael88n]

Dude, that sucks like... I don't know, but that sucks big time.

Sorry to here that.

Michael

[RBOrrell]

Here's an update. Humidor 2 is clean - no sticks appear to be bug food. As a precaution, they are now resting in the deep freeze for next 2 days.

The others seemed to have weathered the storm. After 2 1/2 days in the freezer, a day in the fridge and another day at room temp, they are back resting in their humidor. Upon closer insepction, there was one instance of the little buggers eating through the cello. There was another that ate through that huge brown paper wrapper the OWRs are wrapped in.

Once the other humidor is back to normal I will have to start watching the WTS threads to replenish my supplies.

What a nightmare

[troutbreath]

That sucks. A nightmare for all of us.

[groogs]

That is truley as nightmare, I hope freezing solves your problem. You should really find out what temperature you freezer stays at, because that is a key factor in the amount of time you need to leave your cigars in there.

[Throb]

This post made me so nervous, I had to examine all of my boxes and sticks. That took over 3 hours!!! (of course there was a 2 hr cigar break)