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.