Seriously, this is why some people here (BinDer) recommend keeping the cello on.
Had a beetle outbreak in a BP Conga (ugh) I had been putting off smoking (got it in a sampler). However, it was only confined to that cigar due to the fact that I kept it in cello and that i am anal retentive enough to shuffle and check my cigars every two weeks or so.
FYI, the cellophane WILL NOT STOP THE SPREAD OF BEETLES IN YOUR HUMIDOR!!!!! They can easily chew through it and move on to the next prized Carribean gem! If you have seen evidence of one beetle, keep an eye out for more!!!
KILL BEETLES AT WILL!!!!
Tiny Tim Sergeant at Arms S.N.O.B. #1020 B.A.S.E. # 0003 <(0)>
Posts: 3325 | Location: Columbia, S.C. USA | Registered: April 23, 2003
The TBSNA (Tobacco Beetle Society of North America) states that a typical, healthy tobacco beetle can eat through a cellophane wrapper in 1.287 minutes; give or take the fact that a female, skanky beetle may be in visual contact of said "cello eater" beetle, which could slow his progress of eating through the cellophane to slightly under 2 minutes!
FYI: No free range grazing sheep were harmed in the writing of this post!
Tiny Tim Sergeant at Arms S.N.O.B. #1020 B.A.S.E. # 0003 <(0)>
Posts: 3325 | Location: Columbia, S.C. USA | Registered: April 23, 2003
Originally posted by O Man: TT...how long WOOD it take for a healthy male beetle to finish the cello if he pursures an amorous relationship with said skanky she-beetle?
Well, that all depends on if the little skank beetle was a honey-of-a-beetle or just "another port in the storm", so to speak. A hot looking beetle could slow down a potential cello-eating male beetle to (like I said before) nearly 2 whole US minutes to eat through a wrapper. A GIS (Government Issue Skank) Beetle will only slow the male beetle down 10.6974377751 seconds, as he can eat on the run!!!
Tiny Tim Sergeant at Arms S.N.O.B. #1020 B.A.S.E. # 0003 <(0)>
Posts: 3325 | Location: Columbia, S.C. USA | Registered: April 23, 2003
I have heard that if the male tobacco beetle can see his reflection in the cello, it will effectively stop him for hours to admire himself. In some cases, the beetle has been known to dry up and die while 'primping'.
Posts: 818 | Location: Central New Jersey | Registered: March 15, 2005
Originally posted by rebeljohn: Tim....Does this mean you are going to have a 'Beelte of the Day Pic? Or perhaps invite one to the next SC get together?
Good questions, RJ;
1. No Beetle of the Day pic is planned at this point. If you've seen one, you've seen 'em all.
2. ABSOLUTELY NO BEETLES will be invited, or tolerated at the next SC Sit Down!!!! If necessary, I'll personally inspect/smoke everyone's cigars to ensure that no beetles are present!
Tiny Tim Sergeant at Arms S.N.O.B. #1020 B.A.S.E. # 0003 <(0)>
Posts: 3325 | Location: Columbia, S.C. USA | Registered: April 23, 2003
I believe that cello helped minimize damage in the case of my beetle outbreak last year, but as evidenced by the holes in the cello (see my pics) it didn't prevent all damage.
Beetles lay eggs on leaves which get rolled into cigars. Cigars containing eggs get exposed to a period of warmth allowing the eggs to hatch into larvae. The larva tunnel through the cigars, pupate and then hatch as beetles. The beetles tunnel OUT of the cigar to freedom, find the opposite sex and the cycle begins all over again.
I think the cello helps in two ways, it slows beetle migration OUT of the infected cigar and stops reinfestation by preventing beetles from laying eggs easily on new cigars.
While cello slows this whole process down, the best method of prevention is temperature control. It's expensive, but basically my house doesn't get above 74 degrees! I have to run the AC a little more in the summer, but I compared the electric bills of the last few years to my first few years in the house and the total kilowatt hours weren't that much different.
I figure it costs me an extra $300-400 a year to keep things at 74 and below in the summer. Cheap price to pay to preserve cigars and live in cool comfort.
Last years outbreak was traced back to a late spring/early summer day when the room temp must have spiked before the AC was in regular use. As I had loaded that humi with all Fuente products and had additional Fuentes in another humidor, I hadn't opened it in a month or so and then it was only to check humidity. The affected cigars were in the bottom compartment. The few beetles I found were dead, so it was an old outbreak by time I was aware of it.
