Could this be beetles?

[KevinS]

A nasty virus still has a firm grip on me and has virtually stopped my consumption of cigars this past week. I still open the humi daily to admire the chilins.

I noticed some loose leaf in the bottom tray and removed the sticks to clean it out. Trying to figure where the debris came from, I examined all the sticks in that tray. All I could find were a few small holes at the open end of two sticks. No bugs!

I bagged the two sticks that may be the culprits. However, I found no bugs and no holes in any wrappers. I guess I'll keep checking. Maybe I'm just paranoid.

Kevin

[Treyjo43]

I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert, but to me it just sounds like some loose tobbacco just fell off the foot of the cigars.

[AAlmeter]

treyjo sounds about right. a beetle hole will look like a perfectly drilled hole in a cigar, maybe 1/64th of an inch in diameter. if anything you would find dust, not broken off portions of the leaf. id still give a thorough check after reading through some of the old threads on here about beetles.

[Lord Hammer]

"Flakes", as i fondly call them are just loose pieces of tobacco. I obsess about "my precious" and every other month or so these "flakes" show up, i have yet to find out which cigars they are from but i know it's not beetles. You will KNOW when it's beetles and there are some pictures here on this forum you can search for just to ease your mind .

[Cyclist]

I agree with everyone that it would be just flakes.
The beetle hole I saw was very round and clean shape as AAlmeter says. Like drilled. In my case it was about 1/16" diameter.

[KevinS]

Your all probably correct. I saw the smll holes in the foot of each cigar and started to worry. No other evidence to speak of. I just can't stand the thought of somethin munchin on my cigars.

[Cyclist]

So just freeze them all. Peace of mind will be yours.

[Mikey]

I agree also that they are just flakes. I am happy to say that of all the cigars I have purchased, I have never had a problem with beetles. Of course, as a deterent, I have a small sign inside my dor that says " No Beetles Allowed" this is about the size of a postage stamp held up on a toothpick. And, just in case that doesnt work, I had a small book printed up " about the same size" that is entitled ( 101 ways to serve fresh beetles) by the time they read the page with the BBQ Beetle recipies , I figure they run off

Ok, time for my medicine and bed.

[Lord Hammer]

Originally posted by Mikey
I agree also that they are just flakes. I am happy to say that of all the cigars I have purchased, I have never had a problem with beetles. Of course, as a deterent, I have a small sign inside my dor that says " No Beetles Allowed" this is about the size of a postage stamp held up on a toothpick. And, just in case that doesnt work, I had a small book printed up " about the same size" that is entitled ( 101 ways to serve fresh beetles) by the time they read the page with the BBQ Beetle recipies , I figure they run off

Ok, time for my medicine and bed.

[Che]

Sounds like loose tobacco. Another trick is to hold a suspected stick over a clean sheet of paper [white is best]. Holding it straight up and down, tap the head. If a couple of shavings come out, it's loose tobacco. If it starts to look like you are emptying a pencil sharpener, you either have a very poorly constructed cigar or a beetle that drilled out the foot.