Tobacco Beetles: How to Spot, Kill and Prevent Them in Your Humidor

Tobacco beetles (cigarette beetles, Lasioderma serricorne) are tiny brown beetles whose larvae bore through cigars. The signs are pinholes in the wrapper, fine tobacco dust and tunnels. To get rid of them, freeze every cigar (about 3 days in a freezer, then 1 day in the fridge), clean the humidor, and keep it below 70°F and 65–70% humidity from then on. Warm storage is what lets eggs hatch, which is why temperature control is the long-term fix.

What are tobacco beetles?

The tobacco or cigarette beetle is a stored-product pest about 2–3 mm long, reddish-brown, with a humped back. It feeds on dried tobacco, spices and other dried goods. Females lay 10–100 eggs in the food, the larvae hatch in 6–10 days and do the damage as they tunnel and feed, and the whole life cycle takes 40–90 days depending on temperature (University of Florida). In warm climates there can be five or six overlapping generations a year.

Most infestations start with eggs already in the tobacco from the factory or shop. They sit dormant until conditions are warm enough, which is why a humidor that has been fine for years can suddenly have beetles after a hot summer.

Signs of tobacco beetles in your humidor

• Pinholes in the wrapper or cap, often perfectly round.
• Fine tobacco dust on shelves, in boxes or in cellophane.
• Tunnels visible when you cut or unroll a cigar.
• Small brown beetles around the humidor, or trying to fly toward light.
• A bad draw on cigars that look fine; the tunnels let air in.

Check every cigar, not just one box. Beetles move between boxes and can tunnel into cedar dividers.

Why temperature matters most

Development takes about 120 days at 20°C (68°F) but only 26 days at 37°C (99°F); below about 17°C (63°F) the beetles can't complete development, and adults die after six days at 4°C (39°F) (UF; temperature study, Insects 2021). Cigar keepers use 72°F and 72% humidity as the warning line (Cigar Inspector). Stay under it and eggs stay dormant; go over it in a hot room or a sunny window and they hatch.

How to get rid of tobacco beetles: step by step

Step 1: Quarantine

Take every cigar out of the humidor, including ones that look fine. Throw away badly tunneled cigars; they won't draw properly.

Step 2: Freeze the cigars

1. Seal the cigars in freezer bags (or bag whole boxes), squeezing out air to reduce condensation.
2. Freeze for about 3 days in a normal home freezer, the method Cigar Aficionado recommends. Colder freezers work faster; boxes insulate, so give boxed cigars longer.
3. Move the bags to the refrigerator for 1 day so the cigars warm slowly and the wrappers don't crack.
4. Let them come to room temperature in the sealed bags before opening, then return them to a clean humidor.

Step 3: Clean the humidor

Vacuum every corner, tray and drawer. Wipe the cedar lightly with a cloth dampened with distilled water; don't use chemicals or bug spray on cedar that touches cigars. Remove and freeze cedar dividers if they show holes, or replace them.

Step 4: Fix the temperature

Find out why the humidor got warm. Move it away from windows, heating vents and sunny walls, and check the room on the hottest days with a thermometer. If the room regularly goes above 70–72°F, a humidor that controls its own temperature is the permanent fix (see below).

Step 5: Re-season and monitor

Bring humidity back to 65–70% before reloading (our seasoning guide covers this), then check for fresh dust or holes every week for two months. A new hatch means eggs survived; freeze again.

How to prevent tobacco beetles

• Keep the temperature under 70°F, ideally 65–68°F. This is the single most effective prevention.
• Don't over-humidify. 65–70% is plenty; above 72% helps beetles and mold.
• Freeze new purchases before they go in the humidor, if you've had beetles before or buy a lot of loose cigars.
• Inspect new boxes for dust or holes before adding them.
• Keep a digital thermometer and hygrometer inside, and check them weekly.

Temperature-controlled humidors: the permanent fix

A traditional humidor follows the room. If the room gets warm in summer, so do your cigars. An electric humidor cools and humidifies on its own, so it holds 65–68°F whatever the room does. That's the strongest protection for a large or valuable collection in a warm climate. Compare options in our best electric humidors guide and electric vs traditional humidors.

Frequently asked questions

Can I smoke a cigar that had tobacco beetles?

If it only has a pinhole or two and draws well after freezing, many smokers do. Heavily tunneled cigars won't draw properly; throw them away.

Does freezing damage cigars?

Not when done slowly: sealed bags, about 3 days frozen, a day in the fridge, then room temperature before opening. Rushing the thaw can crack wrappers.

How did beetles get into my humidor?

Usually as eggs already in the tobacco. They stay dormant until it gets warm enough to hatch.

Do I need to throw away my humidor?

Rarely. Clean it thoroughly, freeze or replace any damaged cedar parts, and fix the temperature.

What temperature kills tobacco beetles?

Freezing kills all stages, which is why the freezer method works. In storage, keeping below about 63°F stops development, and 65–70°F with 65–70% humidity keeps eggs dormant.

Want a humidor that holds temperature on its own? Call (985) 531-8513 and we'll help you choose.

Sources: University of Florida Entomology (Featured Creatures: cigarette beetle); Insects (2021) temperature study on Lasioderma serricorne; Cigar Aficionado, "Fighting Tobacco Beetles"; Cigar Inspector. Updated October 2026.