DEAR JOAN: I have a somewhat weird question. Has the grasshopper population increased or maybe migrated to Morgan Hill?
In the 12 years I’ve lived in the city, I had never seen a grasshopper when I walk my little doggie, Zeus, but this year, I see two, maybe three every day now. Or have I just been non-observant in the past?
John Schmitz, Morgan Hill
DEAR JOHN: All indications are those few grasshoppers you’ve been seeing will be joined by others. Many, many others.
Last year was a bad year for grasshoppers. Well, bad for us, good for them. Another year of drought produced a bumper crop of grasshoppers in California as well as the Midwest and South. That infestation, followed by yet another dry winter and warm spring could mean even greater numbers this year.
Grasshoppers produce only one generation of offspring each year, and hot, dry conditions actually increase that production. When you have a cold, wet winter, few grasshoppers will hatch, but back-to-back-to-back drought years means we end up with a whole lot of hoppers.
One way to repel grasshoppers in the early days of an infestation and protect your garden and other plants is to spray them with a strong-smelling repellent. Garlic, vinegar and hot pepper sprays are effective. For newly sprouted plants, using floating row cover — a lightweight fabric for plants — will help protect them.
DEAR JOAN: I have a neighbor who allows her miniature poodle to be off-leash when the woman is in the street near her home. This wouldn’t be a problem except that when they are out and I walk by, the dog comes running towards me barking menacingly.
This family had another miniature poodle before this one that ran at me one day and nipped my ankle. I have consulted our animal service people about this, and they have visited the home and explained the leash law, but the family continues to let their dog go unleashed when they are on the street.
It’s an ongoing conflict with this family and me. I should be able to walk past their home without being harassed by their dog. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening in the future?
Nelle, El Cerrito
DEAR NELLE: You have a few options, none of which is great. You need the dog owners to step up and be responsible, and they apparently are unwilling.
You can continue to battle them by calling the police every time you see the dog out without a leash or, if you can, change your route to avoid walking past the house. You also can carry treats with you to offer the dog in exchange for safe passage.
If there’s no way to avoid the dog, then you need to protect yourself and that means carrying an air horn and a cane.
The dog will eventually bite someone and that someone will sue them. They are putting their dog in a dangerous situation where it can run out into traffic and be hit by a car or be attacked by another animal.
For the dog’s sake, if nothing else, I’d continue to report the people to animal control. These people need to obey the leash laws.
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