All I use for aphids is a strong stream of water from the hose. Squishing is sure instant death, too. Without all of the hazards of chemical pesticides.

Well I have done both. and I finally just sprayed it with a systemic pesticide. It doesnt have a name other than 'systemic outdoor pesticide'. I didnt even look at the chemical. I think it is Isotox. They are dead. Now I am watch the vine to see if it lives or dies. Fingers crossed. So far it still has leaves and is still growing!

I get ants all over the blooms on both my snail and corkscrew vines. I thought for sure that they were farming aphids but not a single aphid seen, just the ants. I've had both vines for several years and I winter them over inside. This was the first year that I saw ants all over the vines and this was also the first year that I had seed pods on both plants. I was wondering if the ants were pollinating the flowers?
Karyn

Snail vine and corkscrew vine need ants to pollinate them. So karyn1 you are right and that is why you got pods. Congratulations!

Normally, a soap solution will kill most all pests, even aphids. Just don't spray it on in the middle of a very hot day because it can burn the leaves of some plants. I've not had any bugs of any kind on my vine yet, (snail vine or whatever it is, purple flowers, purple pea like pods, black and white seeds).

I've never had ants on my vine either, only three big black carpenter bees that appeared well after many of the seed pods had already developed. So I'm not sure that the ants are necessary for pollination, at least on my vine. There seem to be minor differences in the different vines. This is the first year for my vine and I have hundreds of seed pods with 2-4 seeds per 2-3 inch pod.

Well my aphids are long dead! I sprayed Isotox on the vine, I read the bottle finally. And it killed all the aphids, didnt hurt the vine and the ants that WERE caring for the aphids are gone for now to! IF I ever get flowers...I will have to choose more carefully what to spray on it, IF I ever get aphids again. But so far it is only growing,and now it is turning into 'fall/winter' here...the dry season. Of course we have that storm 'Noel' off the coast that might hit us and that could whip up my vine a bit. BUT at the moment it is pretty well protected from wind,IF it comes from the NE like the weathermen say it will tonight and tomorrow.
But no flowers...maybe next spring or summer?? I thought it bloomed all the time, and now that it has vines up to 6 feet long, I thought I'd have blooms. But I have none. People warned me that this plant was an 'animal'. It would grow like crazy and grow into the trees and if it touched the ground it would root and it would be uncontrolable! Boy,I got a dud! I can control the vine and twist it to where I want it to go,it is growing fast still. But as soon as the 'cooler' weather hits. I am told it will stop growing??
So no blooms this year I guess and maybe if I keep it watered,as I am told it likes,maybe it will bloom in the winter here?

Deserthaven it sounds like you have a Hyacinth Bean vine. Quite different from the Snail and Corkscrew vines but very pretty, especially the pods and foliage. It's an annual.
Karyn