{"id":8921,"date":"2015-06-05T16:00:30","date_gmt":"2015-06-05T16:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/agora\/?p=8921"},"modified":"2015-06-05T14:06:30","modified_gmt":"2015-06-05T14:06:30","slug":"adventures-in-wortcunning-of-plantain-and-spider-bites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/agora\/2015\/06\/adventures-in-wortcunning-of-plantain-and-spider-bites\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventures in Wortcunning: Of Plantain and Spider Bites"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u201cMom, what is this; a spider bite?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Large<\/a>
Large spiders eat crickets in the garden.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Two little punctures punctuated by tiny spots of blood. An inch or so down the arm, there was another pair. Time to find the plantain growing in the lawn! Now, take this as just my personal home remedy, but I have done a little study and used myself as a\u00a0Guinea pig for traditional cures. I am sure of my botany, and know this plant well. After all, I planted it in the yard. The following is just what has worked for me, and my family. It may not work for you. But, I hate spider bites, and if you do too, this may help.<\/p>\n

First you need to find the broad leaf plantain (Plantago major<\/em>); the narrow leaved variety will also work. If you shun the use of herbicides in your lawn (or \u201cmow-able meadow\u201d) it may be easily recognized as a broad leaf weed. It\u2019s usefulness so contagious, it arrived in North America with immigrants from England.<\/p>\n

Since my garden here tends to thrive on\u00a0benign\u00a0neglect, the plantain population in my meadow is quite large. It has even invaded the planting beds, and as it is such a helpful plant,\u00a0frankly, I do not care. Some may even think it a pretty plant, as I do, but that may be mere convenience on my part.<\/p>\n

\"Broad-leaf<\/a>
Broad-leaf Plantain (Plantago major)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once you have found the plant, you will want to make a old-fashioned poultice and apply it to the bug bite. Here is how it\u2019s done:<\/p>\n