Tobacco beetle....a thing of the past?

[El Presidente]

Since freezing was commenced by Habanos in end 2005 we have seen a successive declines in Tobacco beetle signs from boxes arriving year to year. Over the past 12 months (predominantly 2007/8 stock) we have recorded only 4 boxes affected (given our volume, impressive). Pre 2006 we were up to over a 100 boxes a year.

Have any members had any issues with Tobacco beetle sprouting from their post 2005 cigars?

[asmith]

Why do I get the feeling Ken is going to add a comment here?

[dochowl]

Not a single one... and I hate to say it but my humi stays around 75degrees in the summer.

[El Presidente]

Why do I get the feeling Ken is going to add a comment here?

In kens case, any insects or rodents he finds in or near his cigars come from his house.

[Trevor2118]

None, but I keep my cigars at a target 16°C.....never goes above 17°C, ever when outside temperatures climbs into the low 40s°C.

[MIKA27]

In kens case, any insects or rodents he finds in or near his cigars come from his house.

[bunburyist]

I had some a couple years back. I foolishy accepted a box of Monte edmundos, which I thought at the time was incredibly generous from a friend back from Cuba. Turned out he got them off some guy who was selling them cheap near the factory....sigh. Tbf they looked real enough, but I ended up binning them as within a couple weeks they were swarming. Fortunately only put them in a desktop I had - froze the whole thing.

Never had any from a dealer though.

Actually, now I think about it I'm not 100% sure they were beetles. There were no holes, and the little bugs were barely visible, maybe 0.5mm in size and a whiteish colour. Looked more like mites. They crackled if you lit the cigar

[CigarmanTim]

No beetles in Cubans. My local Brick and mortar has recently had an infestation in their Ashton VSG stock.

[smll2]

No beetles. One instance of the wood mites...knock on wood. Insightful post.

[brutusthebuckeye]

3yrs into my aprentiship with cc's i have not found a one...ive had stock as old as 05...thats as far back as i can go with cc..Knock on wood!!! Temp always 64-67F in Vinotemp...

[dicko]

yes. i had a small outbreak at the start of summer from one cigar (cuaba LE pyramid). my house has the worst insulation ever and we get 40+ degree summers. froze them all and the rest were fine. moved my desktop into the darkest/deepest drawer. hopefully it doesnt come up again!

[sepp]

A couple of 07 boxes that had beetle damage (RyJ en Cedros and RASCC) is what set me off the deep end a while back.

[Deano]

Not really. But then again I freeze everything myself upon arrival, no exceptions!

[Guest rob]

In over one decade I have never seen any evidence in my stock. I am now going to go and touch as much wood as I can find.

[tigger]

I've seen damage to one cigar - a tubo, fortunately - from January '08. It appeared that there had only been one of the little buggers.

[habone]

No beetles... Oldest boxes are from 07.

[BlackFriar]

Not a single one... and I hate to say it but my humi stays around 75degrees in the summer.

Ditto for me. No beetles and my humidor get in the low 70s during the summer.

[GoSteelers]

I am now going to go and touch as much wood as I can find.

Does that mean you're going bar hopping with Ken?

Sorry

[thechenman]

I've never had a beetle issue with my CCs or NCs. My storage is also not temperature controlled an can rise as high as 74 degrees during the peak summer months.

[mb55317]

I would have said none, but after inspecting a recent delivery of R&J Dukes I found what looks like a small dead beetle under one of the cigars. No real signs of any others though, no holes anywhere that i can see. What i have found, again mainly in Dukes for some reason are wood mites. Little buggers.

I didnt know that Habanos froze stock though..

[cigaraholic]

After going 40 years without ever seeing a beetle I finally got my chance. Ordered a box of Bolivar Coronas Junior 08 and noticed what looked like sand inside the air tight bag they were shipped in, not you guys. Opened the box and not only were the cigars totally destroyed but 2 beetles were walking around, I squished them immediately.

Took a picture of the cigars and the bottom of the box with code and markings and emailed the shipper.

Normally they ask you to freeze the box and return it for credit but they said the box was so bad the pictures would do, worst box she'd ever seen.

I kept the box in a zip lock bag until it went to the trash but never saw another beetle, I think 2 beetles did all the damage.

I'll always inspect every box I get now, there still out there.

[Guest rob]

Does that mean you're going bar hopping with Ken?

Sorry

very good

[BobLobLaw]

Never had one, knock on wood. I do not freeze

[sloth]

none from Cuba... My one and only little bugger in my personal stash was recent...... one that hatched and drilled his way out of a Tatuaje "Boris" cigar... low temp and humidity too... weird...

[strayvector]

Box each of PSD4 and RyJ SC, both from 06. Became lax on freezing my cigars when it was announced that Cuba started freezing, bu since the two boxes, I freeze all incoming.