Question
There are many small piles of small, greyish and red/organge/brown balls on top my newly mulched bed.  What are they?  Insect eggs?  What do I do about them?

I live in Gibbstown, which is in Southern NJ.

Answer
Jennifer, these are eggs.  They can be from a wide variety of insects, but are most likely the eggs of squash bugs based on your description.

You can remove these by hand and place them in a soapy bucket to destroy them.  Or you can spray the area with an insecticidal horticultural oil.  The oil will suffocate the eggs and prevent them from hatching.  Oil sprays, also referred to as dormant sprays, are considered organic.  This means they are not toxic to humans or pets.  I use it on fruit trees and certain vegetables to control insects.

I hope this answered your question.  Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike