need help identifying these bugs

[imgrowing]

bud looked a little off so i looked closer and found these on a couple buds. cut off and smashed them and then spit on them and cursed. but i still don't know what they are and internet isn't helping.

 

[ArtfulCodger]

Looks to me like it might be an aphid.

 

[imgrowing]

Looks to me like it might be an aphid.

ok thanks, within a week of chopping now.
should i cut early and bud wash or let them go until finish then bud wash?

 

[ArtfulCodger]

I'm not a pest management pro, but with aphids I would let the plants finish, knock as many of them off the buds as I can, and then wash.

 

[MrBeach]

If you're within a week of harvest you might want to strip the plant of all its leaves over the next few days. You'll remove a lot of aphids just doing that, but definitely do a bud wash at harvest.

 

[Organic13]

If you remove all the foliage, wouldn't that just make all the aphids that are left move to your flowers?

I'm trying to understand why you would want to do this for a pest? Or is it because the plant is nearing the end?

 

[MrBeach]

Seems to me that the aphids prefer the leaves to the flowers. Aphids are leaf miners: needle like mouths that suck sap from leaves. Removing the leaves removes most of the aphids. That plant doesn't need but a few leaves to make it through its last week. Just think of it as a "wet trim" before harvest. Any bugs that remain on the flowers can be taken care of with a thorough bud washing process.