What Are Tobacco Beetles?
Tobacco Beetles, also known as Cigar Beetles (Lasioderma serricone), are pests that can devastate your cigar collection. These pests are responsible for destroying millions of dollars worth of tobacco every year from premium cigar manufacturers. The tobacco beetle is different from other bugs because it goes after dried tobacco. The tobacco beetles make their economical impact after all of the farm work, the drying, and the cigar manufacturing. They are the equivalent of building a house, selling it, and then bulldozing it over. Over the years, this bug has slowly moved from being a problem across most tobacco products, to strictly premium tobacco products. Most cigarettes and cheap cigars rarely see the tobacco beetle anymore most likely due to the chemical treatment in the product.
When Tobacco Beetles Hatch
These beetles are most destructive at their laval (worm) stage of life. Next it will metamorphoses into a pupa, where it remains in a cocoon. Once the beetle becomes an adult, it won’t be chewing your cigar for food. Instead, it will be chewing a large hole through it in order to escape from the cigar. The tobacco beetles thrive in tropical environments, so once they make their way to your humidor the life cycle could continue. Most cigars are fumigated before making their way into the States though. However, this practice does not apply to all cigars. If you ask around the cigar shop or go online, cigar smokers who have encountered a tobacco beetle problem have blamed their Cuban cigars.
Here’s a short video from Cigar Aficionado about cleaning up your cigar collection, including your humidor, from cigar beetles.
If you have any questions about tobacco beetles, feel free to contact us at Mr. G’s Cigar & Tobacco Shoppe in Woodstock, Georgia.
Have you ever come across a tobacco beetle problem? Leave a comment and tell us what you did!
