Poison Ivy

[AndyTblc]

Ok today I was doing some spring clean up at this ladies house. Fixed where the snowplowers messed up the yard, No problem. Cut down 3 small trees, No problem. Cleaned up some conglomeration of pine trees, trim all the dead stuff, Problem, I got 3/4 of the way done. The worst part of the bunch. There is poison ivy growing. Last time I got poison ivy, I got it really bad. I told her that there was no way I was going to take the risk of getting it. She said she doesn't blame me, but it would be nice to get it all done. What would you guys do. Just leave it because she said it was fine. Or would you buy something and spray it so you would be able to get it done?

[RonB]

I'd just reach down and yank it out. Doesn't bother me. Try gloves, or use the trimmer maybe.

[AndyTblc]

I am going out there on thursday to cut the grass, and I'll take a picture of it, but it won't get done till after the 10th, cuz I'll be in the sunny state of florida, in a retirement trailer park where all the old ladies are wearing 2 pieces, oh geez am I depressed now, but you can't get to the roots because of all the dead stuff.

[greenbaylawns]

I'd just reach down and yank it out. Doesn't bother me. Try gloves, or use the trimmer maybe.

Craziness. I spray with momentum or surge three way and leave it. last time I used a trimmer on it got it all over. Ever had Ivy in the crotch area? Let me tell ya when it get hot and you have it every where especially there whoa! no thanks learned that lesson.

[AndyTblc]

Craziness. I spray with momentum or surge three way and leave it. last time I used a trimmer on it got it all over. Ever had Ivy in the crotch area? Let me tell ya when it get hot and you have it every where especially there whoa! no thanks learned that lesson.

I've never had it down there, but one of my friends went to the bathroom in the woods and when he went to go "clean up" he used a hand full of poison ivy and some other leaves. That was a little awkward.

[Kate Butler]

I'd just reach down and yank it out. Doesn't bother me. Try gloves, or use the trimmer maybe.

Sweet Jesus, not the trimmer - urushiol oil EVERYWHERE!!! Not just on you, but on the equipment where you can "re-get" the PI just touching the machine.

The upside is that you know it's there. I just did a job where it's still not leafed out and must've pulled a young vine without the identifiable mini-roots. Sure enough, Prednisone again. I have also found (presuming you can reach the itchy places), that 1% cortisone cream applied 5-6 times every 24 hours (spaced, over time, as evenly as possible) will make it go away - eventually. This works better early on, keeping the spreading to a minimum. On large areas of involvement, you're better off with the Prednisone.

If it's not too large, glove with latex or vinyl and pull it out, then discard the vine and the gloves. If it's big, be prepared to change out of the clothes immediately after pulling, too. Wash 'em separately a couple of times with extra rinses - a PITA, but crucial.

[JimMac]

Hi all;
I'm from Boston and had ivy several times- don't screw with it at all-just google poison ivy and you'll get links to see pics of how bad it can be. The best thing to do is to spray with Ortho "Brush be Gone" - not weed be gone. Weed be gone will kill the ivy, but it will return- make certain to use Brush Be Gone when it is not going to rain (rain will wash the product away). You might need to wait 2-3 weeks and then re-apply because there was soo much ivy your sprayer couldn't reach it all-but the 2nd application will get the remainder. Only then would I even attempt to pull the root system out, wearing gloves, long pants, the whole 9 yards. Even then, I'm so suseptible I don't touch it. I just let the stems rot over time. Don't screw with poison ivy!

[jrdean62]

I have been hospitalized from poison ivy in my lungs twice and anytime I am in the vicinity of the stuff I end up getting it. I have tried all the different products and the best one is a newer on by Cortaid. It has a scrub and spray in the package and it costs between $30-$40. It is a little pricier then the rest but it gets rid of it the fastest.

[Lasher-19]

Back when I doing landscaping, I would get it on my arms from weed wacking. I would just take a super hot shower (to the point of burining) to wash the oil out. Worked for smaller areas.

Now that I am a home owner and only do my own landscaping I had two recent issue with poison ivy...

First was when I was clearing out an overgrown area of my yard. I was pulling vines of poison ivy out and I was covered. Once I realized this I said heck with it. Spend the next two days pulling and then headed to the Dr office for steriods.

Second time I was taking down some fuzzy vines on a tree. Guess what...those fuzzy vines are ivy! Ended up with it on my face and other spots and another trip to the Dr.

A few things I learned about poison ivy...

1) you have about 10 minutes to wash the oil off without bad effects. After that, the oil bonds to the skin and your in trouble. You can use soap and water for this washing.

2) There is a product out there that does what they claim, remove the oil after it bonds with the skin. Zanfel. It cost about $40 for a small tube but it works. I keep one around the house at all times.

3) The oil can stick around on something (tree, equipment, etc) for like 10 years. So if you kill the plant, great but the oil is still there.

4) Do NOT burn the ivy. The oil goes into the smoke and then into your lungs. You will be in the hospital or worse...dead.

Now I just cover myself up and get it over with. Was myself quickly, wash the clothes and anything else I touch.

[DiyDave]

Coupla thoughts: If its a big vine, say 2-3" in diameter, Glove up, and take a handsaw and cut a 6"tall cross section of the stem out. Paint the bottom cut with Roundup at a concentration of at least 20 % active ingredient. This will kill the root. A season later, the rest of the vine will pull away from the tree more easily. Advertise and find someone who is not allergic to PI, and hire them from time to time to remove the lower vines. Aside: As a woodworker, I have carved spoons out of the 6" blocks of the stem I remove from the above procedure. They make great gifts for the mother in law!:laugh::laugh:

[PHS]

Diy, That's exactly how I do it too. Except I use a pole saw to stay further away if it's really big vines. I cut down several 60' pines and bucked them into 15' lengths for my in-laws recently with PI covering every inch of them, no problems what so ever.

Lasher, The shower is a good idea but best to take a cold shower instead of hot. Believe me, I've worked around poison oak and poison ivy my whole life. Washing hands and face frequently, every hour or so is a huge help.

[Chilehead]

Spray with some Lesco-brand Prosecutor Quick-Acting from your local JDL. Come back in a couple days and remove it. Dig out the big roots, hand-pull the small ones. Poison ivy roots very strongly, so will probably not get it all.

[ALC-GregH]

I did a clean-up at a customers home Monday. It had PI in places, so I told him he needs to spray real good before I can finish. I'll be damned if I'm getting it.