Globe artichokes infested with aphid and ants

I am quite new to vegetable growing and have been very lucky so far in that the majority of the veg I plant grows with no problem. However, I planted 3 globe artichokes last year and they are looking ready to eat now. The problem I have is that they are infested with aphids and ants. I have no idea how to get rid of these as they are living in the central part of the globes inside all of the tight scales. I haven't used pesticides before but have just bought some Bug Clear Ultra that can be used on flowers, fruit and veg. I do feel that if I use this I might then be nervous about eating the artichokes in case I ingest any of the pesticide.

Does anyone have any advice on either the use of pesticides or anything else I can do to get rid of the bugs? Also, is there anything I can do to prevent this occurring again next year?