Cigar Beetle
Storage & AgingLatin
Definition
Lasioderma serricorne, the tobacco beetle, a small brown insect whose larvae bore through cigars and leave pinholes and dust. Dormant eggs are present in most tobacco and hatch reliably once temperatures rise above roughly 72 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 22 Celsius.
Why it matters
A single hatch can destroy an entire humidor within weeks, which is why temperature control is as important as humidity control in warm climates.
In context
"He found one pinhole in a Churchill and froze the whole box that afternoon."
Related terms