Use caution if encountering killer bees

     By Bob Morris
     View columnist
      The following are typical questions our Master Gardeners answer daily at the Nevada Cooperative Extension. If you have gardening questions, call the Master Gardeners' hot line at 257-5555 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is also a gardening Web site at http://www. intermind.net/mgarden/.
     
      Due to recent stories about the Africanized honeybee -- the so-called killer bees -- we've had a number of calls regarding control and how to find a pest control company.
      The following are some things to keep in mind if you come in contact with these bees. First of all, if it's a stinging incident and it's a medical emergency, call 911.
      Secondly, if you think you have Africanized honeybees and are concerned, then the insect needs to be identified positively. This is difficult to do.
      Africanized honeybees look identical to normal honeybees to the untrained eye. The bee must be brought into the Nevada Division of Agriculture for proper identification. They can be reached at 486-4690.
      However, if the bees are overly aggressive, this is a sign they may be Africanized.
      What is meant by overly aggressive is they sting with little provocation. Normal honeybees are quite docile and can take a fair amount of gentle handling without becoming aggressive.
      What really makes the Africanized bees dangerous is that once agitated and aggressive, the entire swarm is alerted and attacks with multiple stings.
      Multiple stings in the hundreds is the major concern with these types of bees. Control can be done by the individual or by informed pest control companies.
      Control measures are available through the Nevada Division of Agriculture.
      The Nevada Pest Control Association has a 24-hour hotline at 385-5853 and lists companies that will handle requests for controlling these insects.
      The Nevada Division of Agriculture has a speaker's bureau available for those interested in scheduling a group presentation on the Africanized honeybee.
      Question: I have ants in a bottle brush container plant I bought and I'm concerned these are the imported fire ants. The ants have a burning bite. How can I tell and how do I get rid of them?
      Answer: If they are the imported fire ant, contact the Nevada Division of Agriculture at 486-4690 and take them in for proper identification.
      We do have a native ant that has a painful bite, so this is a possibility.
      Even though you don't need to identify imported ants for good control, it's important to do so. Nevada is, we believe, free from this very serious pest and we want to keep it that way.
      It's of the utmost importance that if you think you have the imported fire ant that you take a sample in for identification. Once established, this insect is nearly impossible to eradicate and is expensive to control.
      As far as control is concerned, it's the same for this ant as others. Visit your local nursery or garden center and buy a product that is labeled for ant control in the type of plant or situation with which you are dealing.
      Remember, when selecting a registered pesticide it's important to select one labeled for the pest and the situation, and follow the directions.
      Q: I grew tomato plants from seed on my windowsill. Now they are tall but very skinny. What did I do wrong and can I use them? I think the wind will break them off if I plant them outside.
      A: These tomato transplants are spindly in their growth and it's caused from not enough light; either the light was too dim or it wasn't bright for enough hours during the day.
      Four things must be managed carefully when growing transplants at home: light, fertilizer, water and temperature.
      These all interact with one another to control growth. As the amount of light increases (intensity and length of time), increase the amount of fertilizer applied and raise the temperature.
      As the light becomes more limited, slow down growth to match the light level. If we don't, the plants become spindly.
      We slow growth by using smaller amounts of fertilizer and lowering the temperature. If the plants were grown in a limited amount of light, then it would be a good idea to move them to a cooler location.
      You can use these plants but you have to be a bit careful about planting them. To do it, the garden soil prepared for these tomatoes must have excellent drainage.
      When these plants are transplanted into the ground, they can be planted so that half of the stem is exposed above the soil surface and half below.
      If there is good drainage so the stem doesn't rot, this stem will send out new roots into the surrounding soil. The stem will root very quickly into the surrounding soil if kept moist and the soil is warm (about 70 degrees).
      Q: I have a Chir pine and the needles are brown over the entire tree. Is it dead?
      A: The cold in December did damage Chir pine (Roxburgii pine) and caused many of them in town to turn brown. The tree is not dead. A similar thing happened years ago.
      It was cold enough to turn the needles brown but the limbs and trunk were alive on the hardiest. The temperatures then got down to below 10 degrees.
      Wait and you should see the ends of the branches sending out swollen buds for new limbs and needles. This pine can take temperatures down to the low teens with damage but survive.
      The needles will brown but the stems will stay alive and supple; that is, when you bend the branches they will be resilient and not break.
      Even at lower temperatures, I've seen Chir pine lose its branches and resprout new branches from the trunk. Be patient and wait to see what damage is real.
     
     Bob Morris is a horticulture specialist with Nevada Cooperative Extension.