New Grower & Aphid

[ThcHemplar]

So while freaking out it has been difficult to focus on all the information out there. I just spotted the first aphid so I can only assume there are more I have seen yet and am not sure what steps to take. I have sticky traps that will be here tomorrow but I don't want to put all my stock into that alone. I currently only have 2 plants, one has begun to bud and the other is still in preflower so I don't know if I could spray them, if I should get either lady bugs/lacewing or if there's another solution?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Carcass]

Sticky traps won't help you with aphids-

Ladybugs are a good choice-they will wipe the aphids out in fairly short order,if you can keep them around.
Neem oil will also work,as will homemade nicotine spray (google it)

They can infest a plant fairly quickly,so whatever you decide to do,sooner is better than later.
Good luck-sounds like you've caught them early,which is a very good thing.
If you do end up spraying,the undersides of (all) the leaves is what you need to concentrate on.

 

[ThcHemplar]

Unless I can find something at the store tonight the soonest I can get anything would be another 4 days so hopefully thats not too late, but can I use the Neem oil solution on a budding plant? It was the first aphid I found but I don't know how many more there are since the plants grew quite thick. Just stressing since its my first grow I don't want to have wasted the last few months. I also wasn't sure if, in the mean time, I could just spray them off somewhat with a hose or pump spray can?

 

[Carcass]

Yes,you can spray them off with a hose,just be thorough.
You can spray with neem oil also,you just don't want to use neem oil on the buds
if you're close to harvest-it will leave a foul smell and a taste on the buds.

 

[Mark Gordan Smith]

If the Ladybugs won't fully feast on Aphids what can a grower do to whet the Ladybugs appetites and hopefully keep them in residence?

 

[Virgin Ground]

I think diluted isopropyl alcohol would work. They are soft bodied insects.
After you get your plants aphid free, a good way to check for them is to rub stems and under leaves. They leave a substance called honeydew and it is very sticky. Honeydew will actually attract other insects.
I use an old gardeners spray. It's main ingredients are Listerine, water and a few drops of dish soap. It's the alcohol in the Listerine that does the job.

 

[ThcHemplar]

Alright, so I ordered some neem oil though it won't be here until Wednesday at the earliest. But so far I have sprayed them down with just water and I haven't seen anything else so far but the plants are so bushy it's tough to check thoroughly. I didn't know if I should continue to spray them down every few days and/or if any of the above solutions would be ok to use. One plant is about 2 weeks into flower and the other is just starting flip over. I just don't want to cause other issues while trying to contain this one.

 

[Carcass]

As long as you have inspected them closely and don't see any more aphids,there's really no point in spraying them down.
Just keep an eye out for more-they are amazingly fast at reproducing.