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How to Be Sure All Cigar Beetles Are Dead in Big Humidor

Cigar beetles are the bane of any cigar collector. These tiny insects burrow into cigars, lay eggs within the folds and exposed tips, and feast on the fragrant leaves. As a result, your expensive collector items develop a dusty taste and tend to burn unevenly. The best way to ensure proper cigar beetle removal is to kill all beetle eggs within the cigars and humidor. If even a few eggs remain, the newly hatched beetles can repopulate your humidor within days.

Things You'll Need

Plastic bag
Refrigerator and freezer
Ammonia
Water
Mixing bowl
Cotton rag

Instructions

- 1
  Remove all cigars from the humidor. Discard any with signs of insect damage. Insert remaining cigars in groups of four into sealed plastic bags.
- 2
  Place the cigars into your freezer at the coldest setting for at least 48 hours. The cold temperatures will kill any unhatched beetle eggs or adult specimens.
- 3
  Remove the bags from the freezer and place them in your refrigerator for 24 hours. This step in the process is designed to bring your cigars back to the appropriate temperature gradually, thereby avoiding any leaf cracking.
- 4
  Combine ammonia and water in a mixing bowl in equal parts.
- 5
  Dampen a cotton cloth with your ammonia and water solution. Ensure that the cloth does not drip solution if squeezed slightly. If this is the case, your cloth is too wet.
- 6
  Wipe out the inside of your humidor with the dampened cloth, taking special care to wipe the corners and recesses. The ammonia will kill any eggs or beetles still residing within your humidor.
- 7
  Wipe out any excess solution with a dry corner of the cotton cloth. According to Cigar Advisor online, any remaining ammonia odor will not be be absorbed by your cigars.
- 8
  Remove your cigars from your plastic bags and replace them in the humidor.

Cigar Collecting