Quote:
Originally Posted by Notostraca
Aphids don't lay eggs, as they are hermaphrodites that give live birth to clones of themselves.
|
Mostly, yes, but aphids can also lay fertilized eggs. Ants will "farm " aphids by digging up a fertilized egg, attaching it to a plant, and then guarding it until it hatches. The ants then collect the sticky sap that aphids excrete. I have had this happen with peppers, but not tomatoes.
As far as cheap treatments, put some dawn dish soap in a bucket and spray a hose in it to make a foam. That foam will kill any bug on contact. Then hose it off. It is easier the smaller the plant is, but the foam gets up under the leaves better than a spray.