Poison Ivy

[Stimw]

A precaution warning with Poison Ivy for all who don't know-
NEVER burn it! The oil will turn into a vapor and you can breath it into your lungs. That could even be fatal!

 

[Snowman9000]

I've had good results with Roundup, but only if there is some sun exposure. In deep shade the Roundup does nothing to the PI. I don't think there is one magic bullet.

Zanfel is great stuff for knocking down the rash. Expensive, but it works.

I myself tend to now get systemic reactions that cause rashes where I sweat, especially under my socks and underwear. How fun. I usually get them from accidentally mowing it with the brush mower, then breathing the airborne particles. So far it has not become more serious than the rashes. BTW Zanfel will not work on those rashes because they did not occur from the actual oil.

 

[Pilot]

Here is what Perdue University's horticulture dept. says:

Several herbicides can be used to eradicate poison ivy.
Amino triazole sold under the name Amitrol, is highly
effective and safe to use. Available as a liquid or wettable
powder, it should be applied during periods of rapid
plant growth to insure maximum kill. Thorough vegetative
coverage is essential and repeated applications may
be needed. The herbicide glyphosate (Roundup,
Kleenup) is also effective in eradicating the pest. A
combination of dicamba (Banvel) and 2,4-D can be used
to advantage where herbicide drift is not a factor. However,
2,4-D should not be applied in locations where
other sensitive species grow in close proximity to poison
ivy. Read and understand instructions on the herbicide
label before making applications.

One thing to note. Herbicides that are translocated such as 2,4-D must be used at the strength on the instructions. If you increase the strength, then you will kill the leaves before the poison can be translocated to the roots. This is a common problem with some herbicides leading people to think that the chemical didn't work.

Since poison ivy has oily leaves, be sure to use a spreader-sticker agent. This will help it penetrate the oily surface to be absorbed by the leaves.

Used to be that many herbicides were dissolved in diesel, rather than water. Worked really well when I did that. Probably not legal anymore. Don't know if it will work with glyphosate.

 

[Toyboy]

Good point on burning. Friend of mine was burning brush in the dead of winter not knowing poison ivy was on some of it. His wife inhaled some of the smoke and got it in her lungs. She turned out OK but it was a scary situation for a while.

 

[mbosma]

I've heard of good results mixing brush killer with diesel. Never tried it though.

I get PI bad. Cleared 1/2 acre of woods for a pole barn and the stuff was growing up the trees in 3" vines 30' in the air. Like a canopy of PI under the tree canopy.

Anyway, the only thing that stops the itch for me is putting the infected area under hot running water. As hot as I can stand it, for as long as possible. I just keep making the water hotter and hotter, until it stops itching. It will itch like **** when you start, but if the water is hot enough it will eventually stop. It cures it for a good 4-8 hours, depending on how bad the reaction is.

 

[jpdriver1]

we live in area that is mostly populated by "hippy wanna bees" - but sometimes they do have good ideas -- suggest trying a natural solution to the infestation --

Poison Ivy Vegetation Killer
1 cup salt
8 drops liquid detergent
1 gallon vinegar

Combine the salt and vinegar in a pan and heat to dissolve the
salt. Cool the vinegar, add the detergent, and pour some of the
liquid into a large spray bottle. Spray the vegetation. (You can
also just pour the mixture onto the weeds.) Refill the spray
bottle as necessary. Note that this formula will kill all the
vegetation, so make sure that you are only spraying the plants
you want to kill. If you need to use a lot of this spray, avoid
spraying it near wells, as the salt can leach into your water
supply.

now this requires the high acid vinegar -- between 10 percent and 20 percent --
the dish soap helps keep the solution on the leaves so it can be absorbed

try in a test area and then proceed

 

[greasemonkeyok]

If you have been exposed to PI, wash the affected area (on your body, not on your land) asap with an enzyme laundry detergent such as Tide instead of soap. That will remove the oil and greatly reduce the likelihood of developing a rash. You may have dry skin for a while afterward, but compared to the alternative . . . .

 

[eepete]

And here's the alternative...

Pete

 

[kenmac]

I use to have it all over my property.It took Several years of spraying heavy doses of Glyphosate to get rid of it

 

[psj12]

I tried the brush killer and ended up killing two old large oak trees. Still have the PI!