Bugs On Moonflower Vine??? Eating leaves/stunting growth?

[emmdavies]

My moonflower has just begun to climb up a little trellis I made, but now I am noticing little black bugs (look like very small ants) and small greenish-white bugs on the leaves. Attached are photos, sorry the quality isn't good my camera can't focus too closely.

Are they good or bad? And what should I do if they are bad?

[rainbowgardener]

The little greenish white bugs are probably aphids, aka plant lice. They don't eat the leaves, they suck the juices. They can leave those pale marks behind, where they were sucking. The big round holes were made by something else, maybe slug/ snail. The ants are there because they "farm" the aphids. Aphids exude a sweet substance called honeydew, that the ants like. So sometimes the ants will bring aphids to a certain location and tend them.

The aphids are easy to get rid of with soapy water or by squishing them, but if you don't deal with the ants, they may bring more of them right back.

The plant can tolerate some aphids without being set back, but if it gets covered in them, it can be harmed or even killed.

[emmdavies]

Hmm interesting. I'll try the soapy water technique and see what happens. Also I have noticed some small square brown beetles around my garden. I haven't seen them on anything, but just flying around or sitting on my windows. Are they anything to be concerned about?

[emmdavies]

Ahhhh I need help!
So I followed soapy water directions, and it caused some leaves to burn.
I left it alone and it continued to grow a few days later and then even MORE aphids were covering it!
So I went out and bought organic soap to prevent the plant from burning and applied soapy water with a spray bottle yesterday. This morning I go out to water and the plant is yellow-green, shriveled, and dying! Why did the organic soap burn it as well?! What can I do to help it heal/live???