Many friends ask: Are small insects on aged tea still safe to drink? Some customers also wonder, when buying tea, “There are so many ‘insect holes’ in this tea—can it still be drunk?” Most people have only a vague understanding of this. To help everyone learn more about “tea insects,” here is some relevant information.

First, “tea insects” should be divided into two types: the small white insects often seen, and the dark grayish-black ones. In fact, what we commonly see are small white insects. These are not “tea insects” that eat the tea leaves—they are “paper insects” that prefer to eat the wrapping paper. The dark grayish-black insects are the real “tea insects,” which only eat tea leaves. However, very few people have ever seen them on the market.

[Paper Insects]

The small white insects are commonly called “paper insects” in the market. As for which species they belong to, it is hard for a layperson to determine. On the market, it is common to find small holes in the paper wrapping of Pu'er tea. These holes are called “insect eyes” by insiders and are caused by paper insects. Fortunately, these insects only eat the paper, so they have little effect on the quality of the Pu'er tea. That said, they still need to be dealt with. The simplest way is to gently brush the tea leaves clean with a soft brush, then store the tea in a well-ventilated, dry place. As for the more extreme methods like “sun exposure” or “freezing” found online, I personally do not recommend them, as exposing tea to sunlight or freezing may significantly affect its quality.