My War on Poison Ivy

[EddieWalker]

I've never had very good results spraying poison ivy with stuff like Round Up, but have found that by clearing an area and opening it up to more sun light makes it go away. Around here, it prefers shady areas.

What usually gets me is cutting up wood or picking up some fallen branches. It never fails that a few days afterwards, I get a rash from touching the wood that has some of the oil on it. Goldbond works the best for me on itchy areas or stings. I've tried just about everything out there and nothing works as well. I've also learned that it's different for everybody. My mom gets it real bad and Goldbond doesn't help her at all.

Eddie

 

[8N Ren]

My nephew last summer had his dirtbike at our place and got PI. My wife thought hey lets try this and see if it works. Took the kids arm and doused it with some cheap 70 proof rum a friend brought us from Cuba. He had a big patch on his forearm, the next morning he had 2 little pimple type bumps, by the next day he had nothing. He claimed that it stopped itching as soon as the rum was on his arm. If you think about it alcohol dries skin out so it will clean (degrease?) the oily PI off of you and dry out the patch on your body. I assume rubbing alcohol would work too.

 

[heviduty]

DO NOT burn poison ivy, no weed burners, bonfires, nothing. Trust me on this.

 

[RobertN]

I go back and forth on this... Have old neighbor that did that accidently while out camping. Wound up in hospital, resperitory issues.

On the other hand, I have been out on wildfires, and have not had issues; I get poison oak really easily, really bad, with oozing blisters. only issue I have had on the fire line, was picking up hundreds of feet of hose, or cleaning hose/tools back at the station.

Next week, we have Wildland refresher training; we'll be advancing hoselines, cutting fireline etc thru it. I keep all my gear on till it is time to get back on the engine. I wear a long sleeve shirt and gloves while cleaning hose/gear. Then take a cool shower with lots of Technu. Old fashioned home made Lye soap works real well too...

I have been puzzled by the "Dont burn PO/PI" because of this. I certianly do not consiously put it on my burn piles. But there are lots of firefighter out on the firelines each year without issues.

I really don't know an answer...

DO NOT burn poison ivy, no weed burners, bonfires, nothing. Trust me on this.

 

[EddieWalker]

I don't understand why you can't burn it either. I burn it all the time. The poison is in the oil that is on the surface of the plant. Getting that oil on your skin is what causes the rash. Burning it destroys the oil. The oil does not float around in the smoke once it's burned.

Eddie

 

[square1]

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
From the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of Health

DO NOT

Do NOT touch skin or clothing that still have the resins.
Do NOT burn poison ivy, oak, or sumac to get rid of it. The resins can be spread via smoke and can cause severe reactions in people who are far downwind.

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call 911 or go to an emergency room if:

Someone is suffering a severe allergic reaction, such as swelling or difficulty breathing, or has had a severe reaction in the past.
Someone has been exposed to the smoke of a burning plant.

I may not affect you, but it may affect others adversely.

 

[300UGUY]

I was surprised to see our goats eat poison ivy like candy. I had bunch of it, and they killed it off.

 

[300UGUY]

I don't understand why you can't burn it either. I burn it all the time. The poison is in the oil that is on the surface of the plant. Getting that oil on your skin is what causes the rash. Burning it destroys the oil. The oil does not float around in the smoke once it's burned.

Eddie

I think if you were in a rural area with no neighbors, I'd burn it, I sure wouldn't sit and breath the smoke!.

 

[tcreeley]

Saltwater kills poison ivy. I've made some up and dumped it on the leaves - didn't use soap in it. Kills quickly - overnight.
7 Ways To Kill Poison Ivy Without Using Roundup | REALfarmacy.com | Healthy News and Information

 

[Creamer]

Lots of ways to kill it. I am very sensitive to it and have found the best time to attack it is i n the winter when it is dormant - it is not producing the oil near then and although it is not inert it has much less effect.

As a couple of people have mentioned sunlight and goats are very effective natural killers. Sometimes you cannot get sunlight to a spot or you do not want to deal with goats. Other options are:
sprays - I prefer a 2,4-D Amine LV to Roundup but you have to get above it and have it land on the leaves
Cutting it off and then coating the stumps - Tordon is much more effective than Roundup for this. Both need to be applied within 5-10 minutes after cutting
I have had poison oak so high climbing up fence posts that I used my chainsaw and cut it off at the top of the post and it was like a small tree falling off. I did this in the middle of winter and and let it dry very well and then pushed it into a pile and burned it. If you let it dry the oil will turn to more of a resin and the heat of the fire will oxidize it and it will not be a problem. If it is too wet and smokes while burning the oils will not be completely oxidized and then you may have a problem.