We introduced two batches of 300 ladybugs a couple weeks ago, and now we have a thriving ladybug lifecycle.
The larvae do most of the eating.
Eggs are hard to spot.
It also helps to repel the farmer ants as much as possible.
We had ants farming aphids on our small cherry tree last year. I was too late with the lady bug egg order to have it produce any fruit, but they ate the hell out of the aphids and saved the tree.