Like any other organic product, Cuban Cigars need to be taken good care of in order to be enjoyed in full. From all the techniques to properly cut your sticks to all the right ways to light your habano, every little detail counts when it comes to your smoking pleasure. Nonetheless, there are certain circumstances which unfortunately can damage even the Best Cuban Cigars. Amongst them is the disastrous impact that the cigar beetle can have on your sticks. A topic that everyone is aware of yet only a few talk about, here we discuss everything an aficionado should know about cigar beetles.
“PINHEAD SIZED HOLES CAN BE A SIGN OF INFESTATION”
CIGAR BEETLE – A tobacco beetle, also known as cigar beetle, is an insect approximately 3 mm long that lives in warm climates, and feeds on any type of dry, organic material. And what could serve as a more suitable food to these species than cigars? It is worth pointing out that tobacco beetles are not a common phenomenon in Europe, however, cigar beetle infestations can still cause many problems. Although they are totally harmless to people, they are completely disastrous for any cigar collection. Long story short, female cigar beetles tend to penetrate inside cigars where the lay up to one hundred eggs. Once these eggs hatch, the new-born beetles eat their way to maturity for the next 40 days until they start reproducing again, destroying excellent cigars like the Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchills Cigar once and for all. But how can someone tell if their cigars have been damaged by cigar beetles?
DIAGNOSIS – Identifying whether your smokes have been penetrated by tobacco beetles or not is quite easy. All you have to do is closely examine your cigars. Let’s say that you have spotted small, pinhead-sized holes in one of your Montecristo No. 4 Cigar; this is a sign of a possible infestation. Another clue that indicates the presence of cigar beetles inside your humidor or cigar container is dust. Finding dust inside your cigar storing device usually means that your sticks have been damaged by tobacco beetles. However, this is a result of more extreme and severe infestations.
Left: Romeo y Julieta Petit Churchills Cigar, Right: Montecristo No. 4 Cigar
“INSPECT YOUR CIGAR COLLECTION FREQUENTLY”
CURE – Whether you enjoy the light and mild flavours of Hoyo de Monterrey cigars or the strong aromas of Partagas Cigars, your sticks should always be healthy and beetle-free. How can you save your sticks before its too late though? As we mentioned above, cigar beetles thrive in warm climates and die in cold ones. Once you are sure that your cigars are damaged by tobacco beetles, carefully put them inside a plastic container and place them in your freezer for a couple of days. Soon after that, transfer your sticks from the freezer to your fridge and let them rest there for a couple of days too, before slowly taking them out and returning them to room temperature. However, be careful when you return your cigar to room temperature as sudden alteration in their environment can ruin even the finest smokes, such as the Bolivar Belicosos Finos Cigar.
PREVENTION – There are a few simple steps to make your life easier and keep all your Cuban Cigars Online healthy and safe inside your humidor. First and foremost, always inspect your new cigars for signs of infestation before putting them inside your humidor. Doing so, you prevent risking the health of the rest of your smokes in case one or more of your new sticks is penetrated by cigar beetles. Second, make sure that the temperature in your cigar container is not above 21°C (70°F); that way you will ultimately avoid the appearance of cigar beetles inside your cigars since they live in warm and dry environments. Third and last, frequently inspect your cigar collection just to make sure that all your smokes are healthy and, if not, find out just in time to save the day.
The humidors of the Cigar Room at The Lanesborough are home to a healthy collection of Cuban Cigars for Sale Online
From Limited Edition smokes to regular production cigars, tobacco beetles can harm any of your Cuban cigars. The above short and simple guide to protect your sticks is all you need to either cure or keep your cigars safe and sound from the disastrous cigar beetle. Whether you are an experienced smoker or a cigar beginner, visit our Cuban Cigar Shop now and purchase any from our extensive selection of Cuban smokes. Keep yourself up-to-date with everything that happens in the cigar world by reading the latest stories from our Cuban Cigar Blog now.