Summertime is in all its burning glory, and one thing that means is ticks and chiggers.
The critters ain’t new arrivals, and the old Ozarkers learned a thing or two about ‘em, even if some of what they passed down may not be altogether fact.
But who am I to say what is true or not? I just share what I’ve read in recordings, such as those made by folklorist Vance Randolph.
The Ozarkers used to say that dog fennel is a breeding ground for chiggers, but kills ticks. So that seems to sorta cancel itself out.
Another “chigger headquarters,” as phrased by Randolph, is milkweed. Don’t go near it unless you want to be swarmed, the old Ozarkers said.
