When sprayed into a sealed and air-tight room, Phostoxin leaves no residue and kills beetles in all stages of life. On average, Phostoxin takes effect and evaporates within 72 hours of spraying. It leaves no harmful toxins or residue and has no effect on the taste of the tobacco or the health of the smoker. Menendez traps and fumigates, but still relies heavily on freezing. Freezing is still the best because it's the most natural way to treat a cigar.
People think freezing affects the taste, but look at what it does to meat or food.
It preserves the flavor. Van Ryckeghem also counts freezing as an effective way to kill beetles, but he stresses that each case is different. As a consultant called in to rid storage facilities from pests and insects, Van Ryckeghem inspects the infested environment and then interviews workers before he weighs the most effective solutions. With tobacco beetles, often traps and fumigants and freezing are all necessary to best control the environment, whether it's infested or not. You need to keep a close eye, you can't ever get careless, and you have to make sure the same goes for your supplier.