Poison Ivy

[dmk]

We just purchased a new family place.
There are several big oak trees that have poison ivy on them.
What's the best way to kill / remove it and not hurt the tree?

I've heard that I need to pull it down (almost in a hazmat suit).
Others have said to cut it and then "paint" the ends with killer.

The place I am concerned with the most is near a tree/playhouse.

We are using Remedy for weed control.

 

[Ed of all trades]

If you cut a piece out of the vine so that there is a break in the vine the top will die. Paint the stub of the bottom with pure Remedy and you should be done. Ed

 

[dmk]

Cool. Then just pull it down when it does? Oils still stay so gloves and all that right?

 

[Tig]

Just getting over a go around with poison ivy. The first bump caught me off guard, because folks were talking about black flies.
I would suggest cutting it back and then round up on the leaves of the remainder of the plant. Anything that might of come in contact should be washed with dish soap (sunlight) to break down the oil. I use sunlight on myself unit I get the rash under control.
Right now my garden hose has been washed with sunlight and it's soaking in the lake. Poison ivy has been sprayed. Waiting for it to die before I start removing it. Then I'll repeat my sunlight soap scrubbing. It's nasty stuff it it gets ahead of you. I spent 90 days on steroids 15 years ago after it got all over the interior of my truck. If you search the TBN archives you'll find a sad thread on a fatality.
Be careful.

 

[dmk]

Wow. Definitely going to exercise caution.

 

[Tig]

One more thing. Don't burn it. You risk vaporizing the oil.

 

[Sysop]

Some folk are less allergic than others. Might get one of the folk that don't have issues with it to come rip it out for a 12 pack some evening...

 

[k0ua]

As stated some folks are far more sensitive than others. Cut and treat the living end. Let the vine sit a couple of years to dry out. Even then cover up totally. Or better yet find someone that claims immunity to do it. As said don't burn it, that can be a death sentence. I have had a serious case and it is a bad experience.

 

[dmk]

A couple of years? Wow. Guess I may suit up. Try to pull down and spray bottom. Need it off of at least the one tree. The others I can deal with slow.

 

[k0ua]

Well if you suit up good, you can deal with it. Have you ever been exposed to it?

 

[dmk]

Once. Not too serious of a reaction, just not fun at all. Can't think of anyone immune to it. Like I said. One tree is all I am really worried about.

 

[dmk]

Have some stumps. I will just spray heavy other places will carefully cut and paint it. Some dead trees or almost dead ones will get a good spraying too

 

[deanocraft]

I agree to cut it and let it die. If you get any on you, the best thing I have found to cut the oils is GOJO, or something like it. The pumice and the de-greasers really cut the poison ivy oils and keep me from breaking out. It has worked well for me for years and I highly recommend it!

 

[tcartwri]

Cover your exposed skin with sunscreen. It will give you a barrier against it.

 

[dmk]

Don't worry. If I do this I doubt I will have much exposed skin. Cheap painters suit and gloves probably.

 

[oldnslo]

Not 100% sure but I believe if you live in area where it freezes the poison ivy is far less potent when frozen. I have never had poison ivy in the winter but had it several times every summer as a kid.

 

[topbuilder]

I agree to cut it and let it die. If you get any on you, the best thing I have found to cut the oils is GOJO, or something like it. The pumice and the de-greasers really cut the poison ivy oils and keep me from breaking out. It has worked well for me for years and I highly recommend it!

I do a lot of stump grinding on poison ivy/oak. Sometimes it goes airborne. Nasty, no way to avoid it. Got to get the job done. I will shower with Tecnu that evening. Hit my arms with it for a couple days. I can still feel that I got, it but sooo mild, no blisters. Bailey's sells it. I used to be one of those people who are not affected... no more.

 

[Fossil Farm]

Tecnu is great stuff. You can wash with it before tackling the poison ivy to help with some resistance to the oils.

Triclopyr is also a good herbicide to use on poison ivy. Bayer brush killer and other names in the big box stores or at garden stores. Not sure what part of the country you are in, but around here it is getting close to the hot season and then many plants will go into "hibernation" and will not absorb herbicides as readily as in the spring or fall. A squirt of Dawn dish washing liquid in the sprayer helps cut the surface tension of the leaf also. If you have it growing up the oak trees, I'm sure it is around many other places as well. It will take a couple years to get rid of it all if there is very much of it around. Be persistent. Good luck.

 

[ch1ch2]

A lot of good advice here.
One thing I did not see and it is one thing I USE. WD40. I have poison Ivy. When i think I have gotten rid of it I find lots more somewhere else. When ever I think I got into it I spray everywhere with WD40. If I have an itch on my hands after being in an area with Poison Ivy, I spray with WD40.
WD40 breaks down the oils!
If I get grease on my clothes I use WD40. I learned it from a mechanic I worked with who wore white shirts to work. He pretreated his grease with WD40 because it breaks down oils.
P.S. I have not relations with WD40 other than what I have just stated.

 

[RobertBrown]

I am highly allergic to just about any poisonous plant you can think of, but I don't let them stop me

You just need to understand how Urushiol works.
You have the right idea with the cheap paint suit.
After coming in contact or as soon as possible, or the sooner the better, get those clothes off and put them in the trash or the washing machine, all of them. Turn on the washer immediately and add plenty of detergent.
Get into the shower and wash everywhere immediately, thoroughly with plenty of soap, then rinse thoroughly.
Understand that this oil is still going to be on your shoes, so take care in handling them. Wash the shoes if you can or where shoes that won't be needing imediatly so you can take steps to get the oil off of the shoes you wore.

I have used this technique to travel through fields of poison oak and as long as you understand what it takes to deal with the allergen, you will be ok....or at least you will minimize your exposure.


Don't wait more than an hour or two. Do not go into your house with your clothes on and by all means do not sit on your furniture after being exposed

Also understand that these plants produce more oil in the spring and early summer and not as much in the winter. This is a lot easier to do in the cooler months.

Urushiol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia