Microwaving cigars to sterilise tobacco weavle eggs?

[monkey66]

Was chatting with a very competent RF engineer the other day and the discussion for using a microwave oven to sterilise insect eggs in soil came up.

I asked him if this would have the same effect on tobacco beetle eggs and he felt that 5 seconds or so ought to do it without unduly heating up the cigar. Has anyone ever thought / tried / discussed this concept before?

Also UV light will apparently do the same job but will only work on individual leaves (ie during production).

warning - try this at your own risk - heating up your cigars may well ruin them (and potentially activate any eggs still alive!). One assumes that the cigarette industry have gone through all of this and will know some of the answers.

[tippexx]

Well .... it might work .... but so might pounding them with a hammer.

I think giant industrial freezers are what the NC manufacturers use. Same for most of the large US wholesale/retailers who freeze containers before letting them into their humidor areas.

In Cuba they most likely just wave a lolly-pop at the boxes.

[Lee Nub]

Quote "In Cuba they most likely just wave a lolly-pop at the boxes"


LMAO

[daverave999]

I thought sterilisation was a product of temperature? Looking around the web, it seems you have to microwave the soil until it is hot. If the cigar gets hot enough to kill eggs, what would that do to the tobacco? I don't think it would get hot enough in 5 seconds to do much. Interested to hear from anyone who knows about this kind of stuff though.

Good suggestion. I'm all ears!

[monkey66]

In Cuba they most likely just wave a lolly-pop at the boxes.

Candidate for quote of the year ...and it's only January!

[satch]

5 seconds sounds like it will bring the eggs up to the right temp for hatching.

[bryanj9]

ummm cooked eggs and cigars sounds tasty

[rollzst]

freezing cigars is the best option, this has worked for a very long time. never had problems

[Boss Hog]

I didnt think it was the heating it up part that kills things, I thought it was the fact that the microwave rubs the particles together that plays havoc with living organisms.
Which is why you shouldnt put small dogs and rodents in there to "dry off" after a bath as they die after a few seconds.

[daverave999]

Google 'fly in microwave'.

[Boss Hog]

Google 'fly in microwave'.

I did all I got was Jeff Goldblum??

[monkey66]

I think that is the point. To sterilise, not heat up.

[daverave999]

That was my point-what is the mechanism if not heat? If a fly can fly around in a microwave and survive, what chance has an egg got of being sterilised purely through radiation?

[EugeneSax]

The microwave energy is at such a frequency that it makes the bonds between the oxygen & hydrogen atoms (the dipole?) in water molecules vibrate, ie it heats up the water content of anything in a microwave oven. It also acts on other hydrogen bonds such as those found in fats and possibly proteins (have you ever put bacon in a micro - it cooks in seconds?).

I think because of this eggs, which contain fats proteins & water are likely to be heated very efficiently. However, in order not to damage the cigars themselves - you'd need to dry them first.

[jdawg]

I just think it is a bad idea all together! Personally, I would never risk putting my prized stogies in a microwave.