Monday, November 29 1999
The best way to prevent beetles from appearing in the first place is too make sure
the humidity and temperature are kept on the low end. A temp/humidity
level of 62°/67% is perfectly acceptable and will also help prevent
mold. The main cause for beetle infestation is too much heat and/or
humidity. They LOVE it. (It's actually the larvae that feed on the
tobacco.) The only thing that kills them dead is COLD. If you find
that you do have a beetle problem, put all of the cigars from the
infected
humidor in a sealed plastic bag and place them in your freezer
for three days. I say "ALL" because if you find one cigar
that's been attacked, you can assume the others may follow. Freezing
the cigars will kill the beetles and their larvae and prevent the
problem from spreading. When you take the cigars out of the freezer,
don't put them right back in the humidor. Put them in the refrigerator
for one day to avoid shock from the temperature change, which could
cause the wrappers to split. Before you replace them in your humidor,
wipe the empty humidor with a clean cloth lightly dampened with distilled
water. DO NOT use any cleaners, bug spray or disinfectant. They'll
just ruin the wood and give your cigars a foul taste. To help prevent
the beetles from returning, purchase a good quality digital
hygrometer/thermometer
as the thermometer is very accurate. Also, make sure the room in which
you keep your humidor is not subject to extreme changes in temperature.
Don't place the
box in direct sunlight and check your humidifier regularly.
Leave putting bugs in your mouth to contestants on Fear Factor.
