When you find these barrel-like eggs, crush them, or they will hatch more harlequin bugs. - Whitney Cranshaw, Colorado State University; www.insectimages.com

Harlequin bugs bear unmistakable red and black markings. They vary from about 1/8 to 3/8 inches long. - Clemson University USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, www.insectimages.org

Harlequin bugs are easy to identify by their bright color. They love cabbage and its relatives—mustard, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, kale, Brussels sprouts—but may also feed on beans, eggplant, and other vegetables. Like their cousins the stinkbugs, they suck sap from plants, causing them to wilt and turn brown. They multiply rapidly and are often present in hordes.

Adult harlequin bugs appear in the spring after hiding in tall grass and garden refuse through winter. The first warm days bring them out ready to lay eggs on the earliest plants that are set out.

To control, spray at the first sign of infestation with horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, or a product containing pyrethrin.

To help prevent infestations, clean up the garden at the end of the season.