It's not a big deal. If you get rid of the aphids, you don't need anything to kill the ants because they'll go away when no more aphid secretions are being produced. So, you can use ladybugs, or you can spray with: 1) soapy water, 2) water with some horticultural oil mixed in, or 3) a soap-based insecticide like "Safer."

Thanks Kudzu. I got this stuff below. And now I'm second guessing myself...

Aphids are really early here, the landscape guys at the nursery couldn't believe I had them and we don't get ladybugs into the stores until March. So I went with their suggestion.

Do you think this is ok? It's my first time using something like this...

Here is a link that might be useful: Bayer

silversword-
I try to avoid using pesticides in general, and, if I have to, I go with the least toxic thing I can find that will do the job. To my mind, using Bayer Tree & Shrub Insect Control when your only concern is aphids is like using a shotgun to kill a mosquito. The active ingredient in it is imidacloprid, which targets the nervous system. Unfortunately, it kills such a broad spectrum of bugs that it also wipes out beneficial ones, like bees. It's also very persistent (i.e., having long-lasting effects). Aphids are one of the easier things to control, so I really encourage you to try my original suggestions. They should do the job and you won't have to worry about wearing respiratory protection and goggles, or about killing a lot of bugs that you don't have to. Just my 2 cents...

I agree with kudzu. Aphids are one of the easiest pests to control -- often a strong blast of water from a hose will remove all of them from the plant.

I used insecticidal soap on my indoor aphid problem (link below).

Here is a link that might be useful: aphids on my indoor bamboo

oh no.

I have never used pesticides. The garden guys (two men in their 60's) assured me it was very mild. They picked up the bottle, pointed to the imidacloprid ingredient and said that it was not very toxic at all, just to water my plants with it. They told me it would not kill worms (my biggest concern, as it was going in the ground).

Does it kill worms? Even when I'm digging a bed I'll carefully move the worms as our soil is Southern California clay and those worms are valuable to me!

I'm horrified. I should have known.

The boo is completely contained in a bed that's about 4.5' deep and 15' long so I'm taking heart that it's just about as contained as it could possibly be. Half life 180 days... ouch. That means at least a year before it's close to the original state.

I read some of the links. Thankfully the issues are mostly due to spraying, which I didn't do. Putting it on the roots of a non-flowering (therefore no bees) plant shouldn't hurt honeybees.

I learned my lesson though. I've never in my 15 years of gardening done anything with chemicals and the thought of harming the good bugs makes me nauseous. Usually the only "pest control" I do is smooshing snails and throwing slugs in the green recycling bin. Ants, spiders, etc are pretty much free to roam as long as they aren't black widows (those get smooshed).

My great-grandma used to make the kids cut their own switch. I'm sure a few lashings with a bamboo switch are what I deserve...

silversword-
Don't feel too bad. Those nursery folks probably have a lifetime of spraying and consider it "mild" since they haven't died from it. And there are a lot worse pesticides out there. But why use something like that if you don't need to? As for earthworm toxicity, it looks like they may be affected, based on the article below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Imidacloprid

Thanks... I didn't spray the plants though, this was a root application. I should have listened to my conscience. I asked them if it would kill worms and they said "just if they're on the leaves". Yeah, right.

Shortcuts rarely work. Boo.