CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 01/15/02

There's Something on the Porch!

"James! There's something on the porch!" I heard my mom say to my dad late one night. Dad had already been attacked and bitten once, so he kept a rifle close by.

I was just a kid, and we lived in a 150-year-old, two-story farmhouse in Jackson County, Ga. Our nearest neighbors lived about a mile up the road.

Just knowing that there was "something on the porch" sent chills up my spine, because Jackson County was the territory of the dreaded and terrible "Wog."

The Dreaded Wog

According to the history book of Jackson County, the wog was an animal about the size of a small horse. It had a bear-like head, red, repulsive eyes and white teeth that were never covered by its lips.

Dogs, horses, cattle and even the chickens would all run away whenever the wog came around. But what gave me the creeps was that it would come up at night and stick its long, forked tongue through the cracks in the log cabins!

No Wonder I Was Scared

Heck, no wonder I was scared to know there was "something on the porch."

Dad flipped on the porch light and ever so slowly opened the door. And there it was. No, not the wog. A big, old rat.

It had managed to chew its way through the screen wire in the corner of our porch and was looking for something to eat. My dad had found out by experience that a cornered rat can put up a really good fight. That's how he'd got bitten. And that had made Dad mad, so he'd shot the rat between the pots and pans in the cabinet.

German Shepherds and Rats

This time we decided to see what Brandy, our German shepherd, would do with the rat. So I turned Brandy loose on the porch with it. That was a big mistake.

It's a wonder there was anything left on the porch that wasn't broken. Chairs, canning jars, flowerpots, you name it -- whatever the rat ran behind, Brandy knocked it over. Whatever the rat tried to climb, Brandy tried to climb -- including me.

That porch was way too small for me, a German shepherd and a rat all at the same time.

Mice, Rats Visiting

I'm telling you all this stuff because every year about this time, mouse and rat populations are at their peak. Most species mind their own business and stay outdoors. But house mice, Norway rats and roof rats may try to come into houses.

If you see one or evidence of one, set snap traps at a right angle along the wall, so the bait is directly in its path. Bait them with pecans, peanut butter, bacon, cheese or anything that has a strong odor. Sticky traps are good, too.

German shepherds, though, will wreck the place. Don't use them. And if you happen to see a wog, run!

Mike Isbell is the Heard County extension coordinator with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Experts/Sources:
Mike Isbell
After a hearty climb, Connect Abroad Italy students pose in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. (Photo by Angel Bhardwaj) CAES News
UGA ranks as leading doctoral institution for study abroad 12/20/24 Angel Bhardwaj
The University of Georgia remains among the top 10 U.S. universities for study abroad participation, according to the 2024 Open Doors Report released by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State. UGA boasts the highest study abroad participation to enrollment ratio of the top 7 ranked doctoral institutions, earning the No. 7 spot in overall participation and No. 3 in short-term study abroad programs.
HurricaneHeleneGreenhouseDamageCropped CAES News
UGA Extension supports resilience in Georgia farm communities after Hurricane Helene 12/19/24 Emily Cabrera
Hurricane Helene wrought sweeping devastation across Georgia’s agricultural sector in late September, leaving an indelible mark on both the land and the people who tend it, bringing focus to vulnerabilities in Georgia’s farming industry and the need for more robust safety nets. In addition to the physical destruction, the hurricane took an emotional toll on Georgia’s farmers. In response, UGA Extension has prioritized mental health support.
From left, CAES Associate Professor Abigail Borron and Fulbright Romanian-American Foundation Scholars Mihai Suteu, Daniyar Memedemin, Alina Zaharia, Andreea Ona and Daniel Chiciudean stand in front of an image of the Romanian flag projected onto a barn at UGArden. CAES News
Fulbright Scholars unite with UGA Extension to envision ag outreach model in Romania 12/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras
Arriving on the Athens campus of the University of Georgia in August 2023, five Romanian scholars experienced the same anticipation, excitement and apprehension as many first-year students.  Chosen as Fulbright Romanian-American Foundation Scholars, each serves on the faculty at one of three Romanian universities, specializing in fields from economics and engineering to plant breeding and biotechnology. The five scholars comprised the first cohort of the Romanian Extension Education Development Program, an ambitious three-year pilot effort to facilitate planning and implementation of extension services in Romania. 
Janiver in sunflower field AI web CAES News
A larger-than-life legacy: CAES student’s contagious enthusiasm inspired others 12/17/24 Jordan Powers
When Miriam Edelkind-Vealey applied for a summer role at a University of Georgia pollinator biodiversity lab in 2020, the junior undergrad didn’t quite know what to expect. After being told she got the position, Edelkind-Vealy didn’t hear anything for a few weeks. It was only then that she learned a collaborator on the project, second-year master’s degree student Amy Joy Janvier, had passed away.
In developing markets where making staple foods is a daily task and warmer climates where food spoilage is common, foods that have more longevity and are easily preserved can enhance economic opportunities by reducing food preparation tasks and lower environmental impact. CAES News
CAES researchers look to reduce food waste by extending shelf life 12/16/24 Lillian Sosbee
“Use by,” “Sell by” and “Best by” dates on food packaging can be helpful indicators of how long a consumer can store a food item before eating, but often these dates lead to high quantities of wasted food. About one-fifth of food produced for human consumption is discarded before it can be eaten, equating to 1 billion meals a day and contributing to global food insecurity.
Recognizing the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UGA graduates CAES News
UGA celebrates 15 years of Bulldog 100 12/13/24 Rachael Andrews
The University of Georgia Alumni Association released the 2025 Bulldog 100, a list of the 100 fastest-growing businesses owned or led by UGA graduates. The program, organized by the Division of Development & Alumni Relations, celebrates 15 years of honoring alumni and their entrepreneurial endeavors. Among this year’s class, businesses are headquartered in a total of eight states, with 87 of the businesses located in Georgia. In total, 142 alumni representing over two dozen industries are being recognized as a part of this year’s list.