Beetle Prevention Question

Whats up Asylum?!?

This is my first post besides introducing myself in the Newbie thread. After searching/ reading the various beetle threads, I have a question for the seasoned vets out there...My humidor temp stays constant between 70 and 72, I know thats getting dangerously close to beetle territory, so my question is, if I freeze all my sticks, according to SilverFox's model, prior to going in the humidor, then temperature shouldn't be an issue because theoretically, all the eggs/larva would be killed correct?

Or maybe someone has some suggestions on possible ways to lower the internal temp of my humidor, i just tried moving it against an external wall of the apartment, well see how that goes.

Thanks for any and all answers, I've really enjoyed reading the plethora of different threads here.

[icehog3]

If you freeze all your sticks, and your temperature maxes out at a temperature of 72*, you should be just fine.

[Starz26]

The key would be did the temps get low enough to crack *ALL* the eggs and kill them....There are two schools of thought, one of them is that a regular home freezer will do the job, the other is that you need subzero temps for >48 hours to kill all the eggs.

A home freezer will kill all larvae and live beetles....

if you are really concerned about the temps, read the threads regarding the Wine coolers that have been converted into Humidors....ChasDen makes some great drawers and you can set the temp to cool it down, specially in the summer months...

I read on another forum that some southern folks who have no AC in their homes will wrap an ice-pack in a towel and set it on top of their Humis to bring down the internal temp. I don't know how well it works, my basement doesn't get over 67 degrees in the winter or summer. I love Air Conditioning!

Originally Posted by Starz26

The key would be did the temps get low enough to crack *ALL* the eggs and kill them....There are two schools of thought, one of them is that a regular home freezer will do the job, the other is that you need subzero temps for >48 hours to kill all the eggs.

A home freezer will kill all larvae and live beetles....

if you are really concerned about the temps, read the threads regarding the Wine coolers that have been converted into Humidors....ChasDen makes some great drawers and you can set the temp to cool it down, specially in the summer months...

A home freezer will kill all stages of beetles. It just takes a bit longer in a normal household freezer. The thread he speaks of shows the length of times needed for 100% mortality at various temperature ranges.

[hotreds]

Unless you get to about 80/80 I really don't think you have much to worry about. Beetles are happily rare, and a 70/70 really won't hatch beetles IMHO.

Originally Posted by heelsfan729

Whats up Asylum?!?

This is my first post besides introducing myself in the Newbie thread. After searching/ reading the various beetle threads, I have a question for the seasoned vets out there...My humidor temp stays constant between 70 and 72, I know thats getting dangerously close to beetle territory, so my question is, if I freeze all my sticks, according to SilverFox's model, prior to going in the humidor, then temperature shouldn't be an issue because theoretically, all the eggs/larva would be killed correct?

Or maybe someone has some suggestions on possible ways to lower the internal temp of my humidor, i just tried moving it against an external wall of the apartment, well see how that goes.

Thanks for any and all answers, I've really enjoyed reading the plethora of different threads here.

This is correct for beetles and eggs and larvae but temperature isn't just a beetle issue. Having your sticks at 65% humidity and allowing temps to rise can cause mold issues ............... mold prefers warmer temperatures so as your temps rises your suceptability to mold also rises.

Originally Posted by hotreds

Unless you get to about 80/80 I really don't think you have much to worry about. Beetles are happily rare, and a 70/70 really won't hatch beetles IMHO.

They would happily hatch at 70/70 and while rare..............prior to following a religious freezing regimen I have had beetles on 3 occasions.

I know of at least 3 of the guys that I herf with regularly have had beetles as well.

Just my but my sticks are not worth the risk of rare.

But to each their own as well................there are people that have had cigars for decades that have never had an issue.

[hotreds]

Wow! I would never would have thought that beetles would happily hatch at 70/70! I guess you do need to be afraid- very afraid!(Only partially tongue in cheeck.)

[neoflex]

Friend of mine just had an outbreak in his humidor and they keep their house frigid this time a year. I'm talking 67-68. Only thing in his humi was a box of Brazilias that he just recently picked up from JRs so I am wondering if the problem stemmed when in their possession.
I myself don't freeze but I do keep new sticks in quarantine for a few weeks before introducing them to my cabinet. Actually these days my quarantine humi has become my overflow/quarantine humi. May be seasoning an out of service humi soon to pick up the slack. Freezing my sticks just makes me nervous. I fear screwing it up and cracking wrappers, drying smokes out beyond repair etc. I do try and inspect at least once a month at a minimum. I also try and stock up in the winter months and usually lay low on purchases, especially online purchases in the warmer months just to avoid smokes being in transit in the high heat months.

[hotreds]

Dayum! What was the humidity in there? Seems very odd that they would hatch at that temperature unless quite humid.

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Cigars-21...o-beetle-1.htm

OK- have been reading up on this-

hi humidity= mold
hi temp= beetles.

Based on the study done by the Japanese Centre for Applied Entomology and Zoology the tobacco beetle eggs will experience an 80% Hatch rate at 68degrees but all eggs will die withing 6 weeks at 62.5 degrees.

The study is somewhat interesting and what I used to base my freezing process around.

The archive of the article can be found here

http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/aez/41/1/87/_pdf