I just found a hole in the side of a Toro Negro. I had just transplanted it from it's full box in the tupper into my new ISOM/Super Premium desktop 2 days ago. I didn't notice the hole then, but I wasn't looking.

After my recent bout with heat, I can only assume the worst. My cigars only broached the 75 degree mark for maybe an hour or 2 for maybe 2 or 3 days, but I've heard that could be more than enough. I searched high and low and no sign of the little animal. JIK I removed the offensive cigar from the collection as well as the entire box.

I don't have my digi-cam with me in the office so no pix 'til tomorrow.

What do I do?!!!

What's the latest method?

Forewarning...

Anyone who tells me to use the search feature will be hunted down like a dog and killed!

Thanks,

Kendall

Freeze the **** out of that stuff man! Pull the gars, put them in appropriate zip lock bags. Get as much air out as possible by rolling them. Then put them in larger ziplocks (the rolled airless bags of separate gars, a box per bag?). Then get as much air out of that consolidated bag. Get as many of those consolidated bags as needed (all potentially affected gars) and freeze the **** out of them for 3 days. Then out of the freezer and in to the fridge for 24 hours. Then out of the fridge and in to a cooler of some kind for 24 hours. The secret is gradual warming... Then back in the door. In the mean time, you need to wipe down the door well. Some recommend some kind of anticeptic solution. But as long as you can see everything and wipe it out well with water (damp cloth? paper towels?) you should be ok. Good luck, I've been there and done that. As long as you get it early, you should be ok. It is important to love your gars regularly (inspect them) to ensure that this doesn't happen. Sounds like you caught it early. Also, CLIMATE CONTROL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck Sketcha, Dayamn!

ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS freeze your cigars in a freezer bag for a day or two, then put the bag in the fridge for a day, then in your humidor. Cigar beetles suck and this is the method I use to keep them out of my life, my cigars and my humidor. Nasty little bastards...

Did you open up the toro negro? did you see signs of bugs?

choner

I'd freeze em, but just think about how hot the cigars get when they are shipped this time of year. In the back of a truck/van, they could get to over 100 degrees based on the inside temp of a car after sitting in the sun in summer.

Just something to think about.

what's a toro negro doing in your ISOM/Super Premium desktop?

oh, and what everyone else said...

I fel your pain! The same thing happened to me last year with a bucanero that I bought in Cleveland on a bus trip. Put it in my premium humidor and a few days later the dreaded hole appeared. Opened up the buc and could not believe how many bugs were present. I took all the cigars out and used the double plastic bag - freezer method, and brought them back to life gradually and it worked very well, no evidence since. Be sure you inspect your empty humidor VERY well. With mine, the cedar lining can be removed. When I took the panels out, I found a couple hiding.

The good news is that you found the trouble in time before the buggers ruined the rest of your stash. I know its hard to put fine cigars in the freezer, but if you follow the freezer - fridge - room temp regimen, you will save your premiums!

Good Luck!

Augie

ya know it's a long drive out to IL to hunt me down.

But anyway - listen to Robby and search for his thread on what he went through. He summed it up but you may wnat to read all the details and updates.

My current program is to freeze any cigar I receive, whether I bought it (on-line or local shop) or it was gifted (unless I smoke it right away). Every stick I own goes into the freezer for at least 3 days (Generally a week), then the warm up starts in the refrigerator for 3 days plus (also generally a week). Then a day or two at room temp in a dry box, just to check them out. Then when that's all said and done I'm ready to put them to bed in either a storage cooler'dor inside cedar boxes or directly into my desk top 'dor for a minimum 2 week rest to get back to proper humidity. May seem like a bit of overkill, but when you loose premium sticks to the dreaded tobacco beetle a couple of times you tend to start doing anything to protect your investment, and 2 tupper'dors, 3 cooler'dors and a 100 count desk top 'dor is an investment.

Has anyone else heard anything about one manufacturer who is starting to freeze condition the leaf prior to rolling? Sonds like a great way to insure no bugs, but I wonder if it affects the taste or tecture of the leaf?

WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE YOUNG MAN!!!!

okay... i keep my cigars in my den, and it's been about 75-78 degrees in here for the past 1 1/2 months. i keep the 'dor at around 65%rh.

no bugs. and i check. frequently.

i was freaking when it got up to 82 degrees in my office for 3 days in a row.

but no bugs.

i found ONE hole. i promptly yanked it and performed a C section on it. no bugs. apparently the hole was the result of the cigar being dry and then expanding a bit -- the hole was on a slight "buckle" in a vein.

so... what's the deal? should i be freaking out when the thermometer atop the humi hits 78 for a couple of hours on hotter days?

i've made a space in the bedroom (coolest room in the house), so i can move it there if need be, and around july-august i probably will. but i was just told by a seasoned vet from FL that hitting 78-82F for a couple of hours each day does NOT mean impending beetles, especially at ~65% humidity.

but now it "can happen" at 75??

and what ABOUT the fact that tobacco is grown and stored in such hot, humid conditions? why no bugs in that case, but we have to crap our pants if the thermometer reads 78 degrees in our homes here?

can anyone nail this down?

sorry for yet another question here -- but does freezing cigars KILL the critters/eggs "for good" or just for the time being?

I've placed cigars in my freezer for 4+ days, and much to my dismay, found a new hole recenly in one of these "frozen-treated" cigars that were exposed to some warm temps (couldn't find any beetles, though)!!

One wonders if freezing cigars actually kills the larvae?

DD

I gotta tell you... THIS is why I am taking all 3 of my humi's on the ship with me when I leave. I have central air at home and keep the humi's downstairs where it stays under 74 degrees but I do not trust my wife or 15 year old son to look after them while I am gone.

I'll be keeping the humi's in the medical ward which has it's own A/C loop and stays around 68-70 degrees all the time. Our Senior Chief Corpsman and I are smokin' buddies... we are making another humi out of one of his culture growing fridges. It can be temp controlled to whatever temp he sets it at and we are putting a pound of climmax beads in it. I already got the spanish cedar to line it with... WOOHOO!

Sorry to hear about your smokes sketcha... DAMN!

Cavallo,

Freezing around 30 degrees only kills the hatched beetles. The larve, from my readings, need to be frozen at about -30 degrees to completely destroy them or heat above 120.

The "put them in the freezer method when you get them" is great, but then you still have to store your gars at or below 70. Eggs will always be present, you just have to keep them under wraps so they don`t hatch to adults.

I had the beetle problem before, that is why I had to build the fridgadoor.

Here is some good reading for all BOTL & SOTL about beetles.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN384 

Dave

More beetle readings. This one`s about the microwave theory...

http://www.cigar-cult.at/englisch/bc301.htm 

Sorry to hear that Sketcha. But do a search next time you'll find the info you need.

Hahaaaa....Now come to Oklahoma and kick my ass. And bring some smokes so we can herf afterwards. Hell bring those beetle infested things to and we'll smoke those things out.

jeezy peezy!

Jeff

O.K., this is the 3rd time I've had to type this. Havin some serious computer trouble.

Posted the pix under "...****!!!"

3rd is a broken open shot. Should've cut it open. I'm new at this.

Al,

This tupper was also meant to house pairs of stogies from my tupper so I wouldn't have to dig as often. My coolidor is great as it's vertical with shelves, but I'm getting over the tupper.

Box of Toro Negros was opened 3-5 mos. ago and closed up again only to be sentenced to the bottom of my tupper. I just brought it out a few days ago and placed 2 into the new humi. Didn't notice the hole then, but wasn't really looking.

As far as the search function is concerned, I am fully aware of Robby's Trauma. I did a search and found some other info as well, but with all of these newbies, I thought I'd ask if there is a new method.

Looks like I'm goin' huntin'. { =^ )

ths,

Thanks for the info.

According to your 1st link, you can kill "all stages"...

"Items can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer (16 days at 36°F, 7 days at 25°F or 32°F for four to seven days) to kill all stages."

Sketcha,

How about a contest on who can tell you how many beetles you have.

Winner get's your infested 'gars.

jeezy peezy!

Jeff