I personally would stay away from anything artificial to keep them away just to make sure none of it ends up in the bud. It's a bit annoying but I see it as a trade-off for growing outside. If you don't like them aesthetically I would recommend just snipping them away and let the plant focus it's growing on the proper leaves. If it starts happening on more than 2-3 more leaves I would look around your grow site for a possible source (an ant hill, etc.) and then dealing with it away from the plant! Hope this helps!