So you think your humidor can be left aside, without a care? Well you couldn't be more wrong. A humidor is meant to protect your cherished stogies and if it doesn't do its job well, then you might as well not have one. But you wouldn't store your stogies out in the open, right? So you think just the act of putting your cigars in a humidor protects them? Well, this is why I'm here to help. If you're lacking in your humidor-checking skills, maybe this information will provide you with a nice push to start checking your temperature and humidity levels at least a few times a week.

Temperature and humidity in your humidor is the most important thing to consider when storing your premium cigars. Even though the weather may not be hot, be careful—often, people compensate for cold weather by increasing the heat in their house dramatically, which also affects your cigars if you don’t pay attention or place them in an appropriate spot! Heat is your enemy when keeping your cigars safe in the humidor for several reasons.

Mold

Without occasional (daily) checks for proper temperature and humidity readings for your humidor, you may run into this serious problem. A humidor can increase the internal humidity during cold, dry months but also should keep prime conditions when the humidity outside the humidor is actually greater.

To remove excess moisture in your humidor, use 100% Silica Gel beads. In fact, many people use kitty litter made from 100% silica gel! A properly functioning humidor is one that will keep your cigars safe.

Beetles

A humidor above 77 degrees is nothing short of a disaster. Nearly every cigar contains microscopic tobacco beetle eggs—but if you set your humidor at 70 degrees (and 65% - 70% humidity), you’ll never see these pesky bugs. Temperature in the higher 70’s and above are ideal conditions for these eggs to hatch, which means only one thing: decimation of your prime stogies.

Avoiding direct sunlight is the best way to protect your investment, and placing it somewhere cool is important as well. You may forget that your house can get into the mid-high 70’s without the air conditioning turned on, so choose to store your humidors in the basement. It’s always nice and cool there, usually somewhere around 60 degrees. If you don’t have a basement, try hiding your humidors in the back of a closet insulated with blankets. This will keep the temperature from fluctuating too drastically.

A warm summer night is one of the best times to enjoy a premium cigar. Don’t ruin the chance by being too lax about keeping your humidor in check!