| e cigar termites as I call them, commonly refered to | | | | applied which will render it useless for the storage of |
| as tobacco beetles. I'll never forget my first glimpse | | | | your cigars. Clean, preferably distilled water is the |
| into a box of Cuban Montecristo that these heartless | | | | only moisture source you should use when cleaning |
| monsters shredded. It looked as if the cigars had | | | | the walls of your spanish cedar built humidor. |
| been shot from a short distance with bird shot sized | | | | Lift the box onto it's side and brush downward with |
| pellets. All of the care and hard work involved in | | | | the cloth, cleaning the floor and sending the |
| growing the tobacco, and then handrolling the cigars, | | | | "no-see-ems" down to the side panel of the box. Pay |
| all of the endless months and years of aging, and the | | | | close attention to the final wipe down in this area, |
| eventual painful purchase price was all a big waste of | | | | cleaning into the corners and wiping toward the top |
| time and money. What an absolute disapointment | | | | of the box, or "out" of the open lid, hence sending |
| opening this box of cigars on a special occasion would | | | | any loose particles away from your humidors interior |
| be. It would surely dampen the mood, and probably | | | | surfaces. If it is small enough, lift the humidor |
| make it somewhat somber, especially if there are | | | | overhead with the lid open and the box upside down. |
| other serious cigar smokers around that understand | | | | Have an assistant reach in with the cloth and wipe |
| what has happened. | | | | the box out. Another great idea is to use |
| The 2-3 millimeter adult tobacco beetle and his sibling | | | | compressed air to thoroughly blast away all of the |
| clones can gash their way through a box of precious | | | | future bugs. Either way you decide to do it, this is an |
| Monte's just as quick as a box of el cheapo's | | | | important step towards beetle annihilation so wipe |
| because they do not discriminate. If you experience | | | | and wipe and then wipe some more. If even one |
| repeated infestations, my advice is to deep freeze | | | | larva is left inside your box, the freezer treated |
| every cigar that comes into your possession. The | | | | cigars or any other cigars that you add, will probably |
| process is quite simple: Make a spot in your freezer | | | | become re infested. |
| large enough to accommodate your smokes. Put the | | | | Since beetles prefer a temperature of 74F and |
| cigars, boxes and all, into the freezer for 3 days. | | | | above, you should try to keep your humidor at a |
| Remove them from the freezer after the 72 hour | | | | lower range of around 68F-70F, even a touch cooler |
| wait and transport them to the lowest shelf in your | | | | is preferable as opposed to warmer. |
| refrigerator, the crisper it's called on some models. | | | | Finally, if all else has failed and your supply has been |
| Leave them there for 24 hours. Don't take them | | | | ravaged by the insatiable muncher of puros, there is |
| directly back into the room atmosphere as this will | | | | one last course of action. Take the entire infested |
| cause rapid thawing resulting in swelling, which will | | | | box, cigars and all, and toss it onto a burn pile, douse |
| result in a tear soaked funeral for the smokes. | | | | it with kerosene and throw a match onto it. This |
| During the wait it's a good idea to clean your humidor | | | | method is of course expensive, but the tiny little |
| with a damp cloth in hopes of catching any of the | | | | cries of those notorious devils, and the fact that |
| stray larva which may be resting on the boxes floor. | | | | they can never reproduce and spread their evil seeds |
| Never use any cleaners or pesticides inside your | | | | to another smokers stash can become a tempting fix |
| humidor or it will forever smell of the chemicals | | | | for someone frustrated with tobacco beetles. |