Turkish/Oriental Tobacco Insects

[GWLee]

Just curious if any folks here could tell me if the bug and residue as shown below is an issue to be thrown into the environment (i.e. woods as debris) or should I put the leaves in the burn barrel and dispose of like that. Found the below items when I was separating the leaves in my latest Krumovgrad T2 order. While I am in no way condemning WLT for this as I believe that they're just as unaware of it as anyone else as no one could expect for them to go through the leaves and separate. I have also found three egg clusters in the leaves ( Katerini and Basma) a few days ago, wish I had thought to take a picture of them, however the clusters appeared to have had all the eggs hatched and it was just the framework and about three "dead" eggs.

Believe that this batch was from the 2019 harvest, so it has been sitting around somewhere for a while, which would allow insects to infest. Just not sure as to how long that the insects are considered still "dangerous?"

Any thoughts greatly appreciated. I pulled the affective leaves and put them in my stem trash bag for disposal, just unsure of degree of disposal needs to be done: burn or OK to dump in the woods.

Also, have found what I believe to be "thistle" stuff (last picture, although not the best shot). I tend to just try and pull it off, but want to make sure it is thistle stuff and not something else.

Thanks

Cheers


larva found (although it "appears" to be dead.

insect residue it appears

 

[MarcL]

How do I say.. Tobacco that has not been processed for commercial sale/use or maybe retail but, I don't think retail is what I'm trying to say, needs to be processed. meaning, sorted, de-stemmed graded, shredded, blended and/or even cleaned to consume to an individuals needs.
I say this with an assumption that you are in a learning curve. Do I hear you asking about evasive species concerns?
I know that could be of concern but I don't know of specifics to answer. I will guess no though.

 

[deluxestogie]

I can't zoom in enough to tell what you have.

 

[GWLee]

How do I say.. Tobacco that has not been processed for commercial sale/use or maybe retail but, I don't think retail is what I'm trying to say, needs to be processed. meaning, sorted, de-stemmed graded, shredded, blended and/or even cleaned to consume to an individuals needs.
I say this with an assumption that you are in a learning curve. Do I hear you asking about evasive species concerns?
I know that could be of concern but I don't know of specifics to answer. I will guess no though.

Yeah, I know the part about the leaves being "unprocessed," I was more worried about the evasive/invasive species part. Yeah the "insect residue" i.e. droppings and egg frames I'm not to worried about, I just clean that off and move on, disposing of the leaf parts that have too much and just dispose of that portion of or the whole leaf. I just want to make sure that the insects are not in a dormant stage and that is indeed "insect droppings" and throw the stems and left overs into the woods and creating issues.

As the pics are not the best, they show (1) a dead larva (saw no movement from it after watching it for a bit) and (2) minute little black specs/items that I am assuming is insect residue or poop. Just considering the ratio of speck size to insects, not sure how big an insects "poop" is or if it is even possible to see. Do not believe it is any type of egg or anything (but then again, that's why I'm asking), but it is just slightly larger than aphids on tomato leaves and flower leaves are and maybe just shy of being twice the size if that much bigger. You can see the shot of the speck on my thumb and there were two of them end to end if I remember correctly.

Thanks

Cheers

 

[GWLee]

I can't zoom in enough to tell what you have.

Sorry, that was as close as I could get and get a "somewhat" clear shot of a larva and what I am assuming is "insect droppings" or crudely put "poop." As just noted, I'm not concerned with that being in the leaves, other than do not want to dispose of the stems and culled leaves and leaf fragments into the woods and the insects are just dormant and then unleashing something into the area that is an evasive/invasive organism that could do harm/damage.

Yes, I know that this is an unmanufactured product and that there will be such issues. Just don't want to do something that creates an issue from my disposal of stuff.

The last image is one that I tried to take a pic of what I am assuming is from a thistle, no issues from that, just want to ensure that is normal as I have found that in just about every turkish/oriental order I have received, not matter from where it was ordered from.

Thanks

Cheers

 

[Alpine]

I would burn all the damaged parts, better safe than sorry.

pier

 

[GWLee]

I would burn all the damaged parts, better safe than sorry.

pier

Yeah, think that may be a good idea.

Thanks

Cheers

 

[GWLee]

Yeah, I know the part about the leaves being "unprocessed," I was more worried about the evasive/invasive species part. Yeah the "insect residue" i.e. droppings and egg frames I'm not to worried about, I just clean that off and move on, disposing of the leaf parts that have too much and just dispose of that portion of or the whole leaf. I just want to make sure that the insects are not in a dormant stage and that is indeed "insect droppings" and throw the stems and left overs into the woods and creating issues.

As the pics are not the best, they show (1) a dead larva (saw no movement from it after watching it for a bit) and (2) minute little black specs/items that I am assuming is insect residue or poop. Just considering the ratio of speck size to insects, not sure how big an insects "poop" is or if it is even possible to see. Do not believe it is any type of egg or anything (but then again, that's why I'm asking), but it is just slightly larger than aphids on tomato leaves and flower leaves are and maybe just shy of being twice the size if that much bigger. You can see the shot of the speck on my thumb and there were two of them end to end if I remember correctly.

Thanks

Cheers

How do I say.. Tobacco that has not been processed for commercial sale/use or maybe retail but, I don't think retail is what I'm trying to say, needs to be processed. meaning, sorted, de-stemmed graded, shredded, blended and/or even cleaned to consume to an individuals needs.
I say this with an assumption that you are in a learning curve. Do I hear you asking about evasive species concerns?
I know that could be of concern but I don't know of specifics to answer. I will guess no though.

That is also another reason that I have shifted over to RYO and the likes in that from what I have researched the major tobacco companies just dump the leaves as they are into the mix along with other chemicals, at least this way I can clean up what I smoke.

Cheers

 

[deluxestogie]

1) Finding a small collection of half-inch to inch-long, fine, relatively straight, light-colored fibers is likely debris from a weed, as you surmise.
2) The most worrisome "bugs" or beetles on tobacco is Lasioderma serricorne, the tobacco beetle. Tobacco warehouses across the world search for it regularly, and fumigate the leaf if it is found. Occasionally, you fill find signs of the tobacco beetle in your whole leaf tobacco, though it is usually quite dead already. Alive, the beetle can get into your other cured tobacco, as well as pantry grains, like flour, grits, etc.

If I ever have any question about the viability of tobacco beetles in a bag of tobacco, I place the entire, closed bag into the freezer for a week, which will kill both the beetles as well as the eggs. For tobacco discard material, like stems, I would just burn the stuff.

Insect frass (poop) from tobacco beetles usually appears to be a dusting of dark-colored dirt, is harmless, and can just be brushed off the leaf prior to use.

Bob

 

[GWLee]

1) Finding a small collection of half-inch to inch-long, fine, relatively straight, light-colored fibers is likely debris from a weed, as you surmise.
2) The most worrisome "bugs" or beetles on tobacco is Lasioderma serricorne, the tobacco beetle. Tobacco warehouses across the world search for it regularly, and fumigate the leaf if it is found. Occasionally, you fill find signs of the tobacco beetle in your whole leaf tobacco, though it is usually quite dead already. Alive, the beetle can get into your other cured tobacco, as well as pantry grains, like flour, grits, etc.

If I ever have any question about the viability of tobacco beetles in a bag of tobacco, I place the entire, closed bag into the freezer for a week, which will kill both the beetles as well as the eggs. For tobacco discard material, like stems, I would just burn the stuff.

Insect frass (poop) from tobacco beetles usually appears to be a dusting of dark-colored dirt, is harmless, and can just be brushed off the leaf prior to use.

Bob

OUTSTANDING!!! Did not think or know about freezing the bag, will start doing that from now on.

That won't hurt the tobacco will it?

Thanks

Cheers

 

[deluxestogie]

Freezing fully cured tobacco has no impact on it.

Bob

 

[GWLee]

Freezing fully cured tobacco has no impact on it.

Bob

Great to know as that is all I have/do

Thanks

Cheers

 

[Jb00]

OUTSTANDING!!! Did not think or know about freezing the bag, will start doing that from now on.

That won't hurt the tobacco will it?

Thanks

Cheers

I just froze some Virginia (just to be careful) and I would highly recommend you be very cautious handling the leaf while frozen and until thawed. I managed to damage the better part of a pound.

 

[GWLee]

I just froze some Virginia (just to be careful) and I would highly recommend you be very cautious handling the leaf while frozen and until thawed. I managed to damage the better part of a pound.

Ha Ha, put a couple of bags in the deepfreeze this afternoon and the wife went to get something out and asked WTH is this?!!!????? lol

Yeah, will just handle by the corner of the bags and move the four feet to my workbench, so should be pretty easy.

Thanks

Cheers