V Y 
November 1951 E-827 
United States Department of Agriculture 
Agricultural Research Administration 
Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine 
COLD STORAGE TO CONTROL THE CIGARETTE 
BEETLE IN CIGAR TOBACCOS 
1 9/ 
Joseph N. Tenhet and Clarence O. Bare-^-^-' 
Division of Stored Product Insect Investigations 
The control of the cigarette beetle ( Lasioderma serricorne (F.)) in 
cigar tobacco by fumigation has never been entirely satisfactory. The 
fumigated tobacco must be held in storage until all trace of the fumigant 
is gone. With the widespread use of storage at subzero temperatures 
for the preservation of other products, cigar manufacturers have become 
interested in the possible use of such storage for the control of the 
cigarette beetle. Swingle (1_) showed that, ^ai though all stages of this 
insect could be killed in 60 hours with a temperature of 15 F., 3 1/2 to 
5 1/2 days were required for the centers of bales of tobacco stored at 10 
to cool to 15 . Cigar manufacturers have stated that a 3 -day exposure 
in storage at subzero temperatures would be practical, if effective. 
Therefore, experiments were undertaken at Lancaster, Pa., in 1950 to 
answer three questions: 
Will exposure to very low temperatures injure cigar tobaccos? 
At very low temperatures how rapidly will the temperature fall at 
different depths in the tobacco. 
At different depths in the tobacco how quickly will all stages of the 
cigarette beetle be killed? 
All the tobacco used in these experiments had been thoroughly sweated 
and was in good condition. It was in cases approximately 30 inches wide, 
30 inches deep, and 42 to 48 inches long, and weighing approximately 
400 pounds. 
Test lots of 25 cigarette beetles- -4 lots of each stage (adults, eggs, 
larvae, and pupae) per case- -were placed in the center of each case or 
at various depths in the tobacco. Each lot was confined in a perforated 
carboard pillbox. 
1/ I he work upon which this paper is based was conducted while the 
authors were in the Division of 'iruck Crop and Garden Insect Investigations. 
2/ The authors express their appreciation to the General Cigar 
Company and the Goodling Electric Company for their assistance in these 
experiments. 
