Are the "pests" actually causing any damage?

Just because they aren't something you specifically believe should be in the garden doesn't mean they are bad.

If you spray with soapy water you are likely to kill off the natural predators along with the prey (your "pests"). In the long term, the rest of the summer, this could lead to a bloom in the pest population.

The safest route is to do nothing and wait for nature to correct itself and live with minor losses. But if you must why not just spray with clean water to disperse the pests.

Some ways to help nature become more balanced include leaving areas unmowed to foster diversity of plants and species. Also, planting more food plants, open flowers and multiflowered plants provide food for many predators of common pests (like hoverflies that eat aphids).

The best fertilizer (and pesticide) for the garden is the gardener's footprints.

I hope my comments help.
-Kyle

Yep, the big green guy is a spider. The smaller green are aphids, and the white things are the cast skins of aphids.

Wash 'em off or brush 'em off.

Repeat every time you see more.

I just sprayed off the plants with a stout stream of water. Didn't use any soap. The spider was back the next day, but I left him alone. So far the aphids haven't been back.

Thanks, y'all!

Right on they are called green peach aphids. spiders are 4 pairs of legs and insects are 3 pairs of legs. Spiders love aphids to eat.

a great book to have is:
The Organic Gardener's Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control the Rodale Press puts it out and it is a treasure for the serious organic gardener.

I use daily, Neem Oil (dyna-grow) and it is all natural and organic. It kills off the bad and saves the good. I buy the 8oz. jug and for 32oz. of water i pour two caps of the oil. Id tried everything and this works for drop dead gorgeous roses. and it is kind to your bees/spiders.

Using any pesticide daily is not organic and is a waste of your time, energy, and money and is not a good practice environmentally because that will kill off the beneficial insects as well as any pests. While Neem Oil products are considered organic, overuse of them is not acceptable to an organic gardener. Neem Oil is not so selective a poison that it will not kill off the beneficial insects as well as any pests.
A good organic gardener will only use even Insecticidal Soap, much less something as potent as Neem Oil, when necessary, not daily.