Beetles... HELP!

[kern47]

Something I thought would never happen to me...

Just unboxed these HdM Epicure Especial's ready to add into the humidor, then noticed 4 out of 15 of them have visible signs of beetles.

These are 2015, so around 4 years old.

The beetles have obviously hatched at some point, but given that they've been stored in tubes, does this mean they've most likely just died?

Reluctant to freeze them all as it's never seemed to me like a sensible thing to do with cigars...

These were bought from Switzerland so they should have been frozen before leaving Cuba... Correct?

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[simwells]

Eesh I?d definitely be freezing them just for peace of mind, I know it seems strange but all Cuban cigars are frozen for export so they should have been through it anyway.

If they?re from Switzerland they should have been frozen yes


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[ha_banos]

Freeze the buggers! Loads of people freeze again out of fear. If they are 4 years old and tubos you're probably ok.

But I would freeze.

They may have hatched before they left Cuba? It's a rare thing fortunately.

Who was it here that recently froze their whole collection even though no issues? Greg? You sleep soundly now, no?

[kern47]

Right okay... Looks like I'd better freeze them then [emoji2357] so what's the method you guys usually use on here? With the least chance of affecting the cigars

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[PeeJay]

A day in the fridge, two in the freezer, another in the fridge, back to room temperature and back in the humidor for me. I think you'll find that's the minimum.

[PeeJay]

I'm also told the beetles give a satisfactory little pop when the heat reaches them as you smoke

[simwells]

A day in the fridge, two in the freezer, another in the fridge, back to room temperature and back in the humidor for me. I think you'll find that's the minimum.

I?d follow this unless you want to give longer,

With this style of box I?d bag up the sticks to make sure they?re properly sealed, box them and then bag and seal the outer box before they go into the freezer.


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[kern47]

So basically the idea is to make them as airtight as possible? They're tubos so I can put them back in their tubes as well.

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[simwells]

So basically the idea is to make them as airtight as possible? They're tubos so I can put them back in their tubes as well.

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Yes you want as little air transfer as possible so ideally vacuum seal but if not bag and then suck out the air you can with a straw. I?d at least double vag but some just single bag and some triple


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[PeeJay]

Yes you want as little air transfer as possible so ideally vacuum seal but if not bag and then suck out the air you can with a straw. I’d at least double vag but some just single bag and some triple


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Wish I had your stamina!

[simwells]

Wish I had your stamina!

You and me both, you and me both!


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[kern47]

[emoji23]

Theoretically though, as long as my temperature and humidity don't go too high (certainly not going to happen through the winter) then I shouldn't have any more issues? The old thing I've read that "all cigars have beetles, just got to make sure they don't hatch" still applies, but obviously they've just come out previously. If anything, maybe I've got less beetles alive now than I would have had previously anyway [emoji2369]

Just applying my man-maths...

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[Emaresee]

Yes you want as little air transfer as possible so ideally vacuum seal but if not bag and then suck out the air you can with a straw. I?d at least double vag but some just single bag and some triple

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Cling film ... lots of cling film.

leave them in the freezer for a touch longer you want these sticks frozen solid.so as [MENTION=13402615]PeeJay[/MENTION] said but maybe 3-5 days on hard ice to be sure. Thing is they were probably frozen in cuba, and they were probably stored correctly in switzerland and probably ok as they are tubos.... but who knows it may have been picked up en route in storage facility when inspected, or dare i say in your own storage... you?ll never know. Too late to seek recompense from the vendor?

freeze these any any that have shared common storage for utter peace of mind. We have all frozen cigars without issue. Some have forgotten them in a freezer for weeks ( [MENTION=941]Simon Bolivar[/MENTION] !!) to no ill effects.

very best of luck

[Emaresee]

[emoji23]

Theoretically though, as long as my temperature and humidity don't go too high (certainly not going to happen through the winter) then I shouldn't have any more issues? The old thing I've read that "all cigars have beetles, just got to make sure they don't hatch" still applies, but obviously they've just come out previously. If anything, maybe I've got less beetles alive now than I would have had previously anyway [emoji2369]

Just applying my man-maths...

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yes/no. Why not freeze and be safe...

[thedame007]

Freeze the buggers! Loads of people freeze again out of fear. [...]
Who was it here that recently froze their whole collection even though no issues? Greg? You sleep soundly now, no?

Yes, it was indeed me. I froze my entire collection a year or two ago - which was no mean feat. But i felt the investment in time was worthwhile, as the idea of the little critters feasting away on my smokes during the hot summer months kept racing around my mind.

I am also going to be controversial here, after the 10th box or so i decided to skip the fridge part, and this had no negative repercussions on any of the boxes frozen thereafter (and that was at the height of summer)

Either way, freeze these sticks. It's highly probable these hatched and chomped their way through theses smokes whilst in cuba, prior to shipping. If it was post cuba (and freezing) there would be nothing but dust left in the tubos by now. But for the sake of a little bit of work, it will keep the mind at ease.