This week I received several calls about columns I have previously written where I addressed a problem and did not give a clear solution.

Today I will give clear answers to some of these questions and hopefully put some of you on the right track to managing insects and growing plants. Before I start I want to repeat what you have heard already, the heat index will be well over 100 many days this week so please drink adequate liquids and try to avoid outside activity during the hotter parts of the day.

Q. How do I kill bees on my porch?

The first thing you need to do is identify what type of bee it is. Bees are like weeds there are numerous types and species, and control strategies are different for each species, for example honeybee vs. bumblebee. You do not want to eliminate every bee you see because bees are helpful to humans. Honeybees provide us with honey, royal jelly, beeswax, as well as pollinate many of our flowers and crop. If you have a bad bee problem there are several beekeepers in the area you can use. Call the extension office for a list.

The most common call we receive however is for carpenter bees. This bee looks much like a bumble bee except it does not have the yellow and black hair markings, it has less yellow and a shining abdomen. Carpenter bees are easiest to identify based on their behavior. Like their name they are often the biggest nuisance on porches, ceilings, or areas where untreated wood is exposed. Yellow pine, cedar, cypress, willow, and magnolia are favorites of this bee. Visible damage will be about a 1/2 inch entry hole into the wood. However once inside the wood the hole can go left or right with the grain of the wood a foot or more over time. Paint is the easiest and best method of control by covering susceptible woods. If you use stains or other protectants it will likely require more than one application. If painting and other protectants are not an option an insecticide solution should handle the problem. I would recommend products containing Deltamethrin 0.05 percent, an example is Bengal Ultradust or Terro Ant Dust. Cover all surfaces of the affected wood, giving special attention to any tunnels that may be present.

Puffing a small amount of dust into tunnels in the late afternoon will increase the chances of directly treating the carpenter bees as they use the tunnels during the night as a resting place.

After treatments, seal any existing tunnels to prevent further damage from wood decay organisms. Be sure to read the label whenever using these products.

Q. What tomatoes should I plant in the fall?

Most tomato varieties should make it well in a fall garden. Like I said last week most plants do well in fall gardens because there are less problems to face with insects, diseases, and heat. However remember that some tomato varieties are resistant to problems that will have letters on the label. A “V” means resistant to Verticillium wilt, “F” indicates resistance to Fusarium wilt, “N” is resistant to root-knot nematodes, and “T” protects against tobacco mosaic virus. Therefore a variety like Celebrity that has “VFNT” on the label is resistant to all these problems. There are lots of resistant varieties so there are lots of choices. If you are planning on having tomatoes growing in containers on the back porch or patio then you may want to consider the variety Totem. It is designed for the patio and great in containers, just be sure to use good soil and a container with good drainage.

David Carter is director of the Adams County Extension Service. He can be reached at dcarter@ext.msstate.edu.