cutting poison ivy vines

[CGC4200]

I have a tree down covered with big vines, will use a chainsaw later, but
my first tool was an axe & then a dragging chain.
This is a great time of year to cut poison ivy vines, they are not as toxic
in winter, they are parasitic on trees too.

 

[Kwdog75]

I had no idea the poison was dormant during the winter. Thanks for the info.

 

[Roanoker494]

I have a tree down covered with big vines, will use a chainsaw later, but
my first tool was an axe & then a dragging chain.
This is a great time of year to cut poison ivy vines, they are not as toxic
in winter, they are parasitic on trees too.

I am one of the lucky few who is not allergic to poison ivy or poison oak, so I just grab it and pull it down. I did get into some poison sumac one time, while I was weed wacking, that gave me a itchy little rash for a couple days.

 

[tmessenger]

I am one of the lucky few who is not allergic to poison ivy or poison oak, so I just grab it and pull it down. I did get into some poison sumac one time, while I was weed wacking, that gave me a itchy little rash for a couple days.

I'm one of the unlucky ones that is very allergic to poison ivy and had the same thing on some trees I was cutting. I used a hand ax to chop them off the tree then managed to get the ivy oil on my gloves and .................

 

[Roanoker494]

Here is a little something everyone may be interested in seeing....

Q: During a break in the winter weather, we decided to clear out our poison ivy growth while it was still dormant. Much to our surprise, every one of us came down with the classic symptoms of poison ivy contact rash, blisters, swelling, burning, itching you name it! I thought that we would be safe in handling this blasted vine during the dead of winter with our clothes, gloves and boots to protect us, plus the lack of foliage. Can you tell me anything about this plant? How is it picked up during the winter? How were we able to get it essentially all over our bodies almost as if we ran naked through the plants? Any assistance would be appreciated! (Wahpeton, N.D.)

A: Another painful lesson learned the hard way! Poison ivy has a toxic oil or resin produced in all parts of the plant actively growing, dormant, or dead. I assume you didn't burn the plants, as that would have put everyone in the hospital.

The toxin gets on anything it touches clothes, pruning shears, shovels and it sets up in the skin within 15 minutes of making contact. I suspect that the normal caution was down because of winter conditions, and everyone made bare skin contact with the tools, gloves and boots. As for the other body parts so affected, sawdust must have worked its way to those areas. Those clothes are considered contaminated and should be washed separately with Fels Naptha soap and rinsed completely in hot water. Obviously everyone involved was quite sensitive to the plant's toxic resin. It used to be that I could handle the plant bare-handed and never suffer the consequences. I was bragging about this minor feat one day to a group of folks who happened to have a dermatologist among them. I was promptly scolded as being a foolish show-off and told that my immunity would be "used up" some day, and that I would suffer terrible symptoms. Since then, I have kept my hands very carefully to myself around any poison ivy.

Ron Smith, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension Service
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/hortiscope/weed/poisonivy.htm

 

[MacLaren]

Here is a little something everyone may be interested in seeing....

Q: During a break in the winter weather, we decided to clear out our poison ivy growth while it was still dormant. Much to our surprise, every one of us came down with the classic symptoms of poison ivy contact rash, blisters, swelling, burning, itching you name it! I thought that we would be safe in handling this blasted vine during the dead of winter with our clothes, gloves and boots to protect us, plus the lack of foliage. Can you tell me anything about this plant? How is it picked up during the winter? How were we able to get it essentially all over our bodies almost as if we ran naked through the plants? Any assistance would be appreciated! (Wahpeton, N.D.)

A: Another painful lesson learned the hard way! Poison ivy has a toxic oil or resin produced in all parts of the plant actively growing, dormant, or dead. I assume you didn't burn the plants, as that would have put everyone in the hospital.

The toxin gets on anything it touches clothes, pruning shears, shovels and it sets up in the skin within 15 minutes of making contact. I suspect that the normal caution was down because of winter conditions, and everyone made bare skin contact with the tools, gloves and boots. As for the other body parts so affected, sawdust must have worked its way to those areas. Those clothes are considered contaminated and should be washed separately with Fels Naptha soap and rinsed completely in hot water. Obviously everyone involved was quite sensitive to the plant's toxic resin. It used to be that I could handle the plant bare-handed and never suffer the consequences. I was bragging about this minor feat one day to a group of folks who happened to have a dermatologist among them. I was promptly scolded as being a foolish show-off and told that my immunity would be "used up" some day, and that I would suffer terrible symptoms. Since then, I have kept my hands very carefully to myself around any poison ivy.

Ron Smith, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension Service
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/hortiscope/weed/poisonivy.htm

Darn good info! Ill rep ya tomorrow. All outta bullets today...........

 

[tomtrees58]

boy your nuts:bang:its not and will last up to 18 years on glovesopcorn:

 

[tmessenger]

Here is a little something everyone may be interested in seeing....

Q: During a break in the winter weather, we decided to clear out our poison ivy growth while it was still dormant. Much to our surprise, every one of us came down with the classic symptoms of poison ivy contact rash, blisters, swelling, burning, itching you name it! I thought that we would be safe in handling this blasted vine during the dead of winter with our clothes, gloves and boots to protect us, plus the lack of foliage. Can you tell me anything about this plant? How is it picked up during the winter? How were we able to get it essentially all over our bodies almost as if we ran naked through the plants? Any assistance would be appreciated! (Wahpeton, N.D.)

A: Another painful lesson learned the hard way! Poison ivy has a toxic oil or resin produced in all parts of the plant actively growing, dormant, or dead. I assume you didn't burn the plants, as that would have put everyone in the hospital.

The toxin gets on anything it touches clothes, pruning shears, shovels and it sets up in the skin within 15 minutes of making contact. I suspect that the normal caution was down because of winter conditions, and everyone made bare skin contact with the tools, gloves and boots. As for the other body parts so affected, sawdust must have worked its way to those areas. Those clothes are considered contaminated and should be washed separately with Fels Naptha soap and rinsed completely in hot water. Obviously everyone involved was quite sensitive to the plant's toxic resin. It used to be that I could handle the plant bare-handed and never suffer the consequences. I was bragging about this minor feat one day to a group of folks who happened to have a dermatologist among them. I was promptly scolded as being a foolish show-off and told that my immunity would be "used up" some day, and that I would suffer terrible symptoms. Since then, I have kept my hands very carefully to myself around any poison ivy.

Ron Smith, Horticulturist, NDSU Extension Service
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/hortiscope/weed/poisonivy.htm

Yeah and then I washed my gloves and long sleeve shirt in regular soap (once) and that gets ivy oil on my other clothes and then get it on my legs. I rewashed everything 3 times and pitched the glove, that worked.

 

[sawinredneck]

It's also important to bathe immediately after exposure.
I'm not allergic to ivy or Oak, but I found out for sure I allergic to Sumac!
Nice cool day, fishing at a family reunion, drove three hours home and by the time everybody else was done showering and unpacking, I wanted to go to bed!
I got up the next day with the symptoms, bad! Put on some ointment and went to work.
Got up the next day, it was more wide spread, I had breakouts in places you don't want breakouts!:hmm3grin2orange:
Went to see the doc, got a shot and some better ointment. Then a lecture.
What had happened was I'd taken the oils to bed then spread them all over the covers on the bed! I was lucky my wife didn't get it, really!
Striped the bed, washed everything twice, including all my dirty clothes, they had been exposed as well, and it cleared up in about three days.
Being that this is an oil, it doesn't dry up, it just spreads, and spreads. Each time you touch it, it moves to the next spot you touch.
Just a heads up, hopefully someone can learn from my miserable experience!

 

[jimc]

Ivy peeler

I get poison ivy from just looking at the stuff any time of year.
The best peeling/chopping tool so far is a sharp long handled ice chipper - looks like a short bladed flat shovel.
If i need to hit the vines with the saw, use the top side of the bar to fling it away.
Shower with Fels Naptha or Lava soap right afterward helps too.

 

[CGC4200]

OK so far

I chopped some earlier off trees with an axe, but I am not very allergic
to poison ivy, still thought it was best to chop now instead of stirring it
up later with a chainsaw, think its bad now, wait till spring.

I enjoyed whacking the vines with an axe.
If you are highly allergic, get someone else to do it.

 

[Guido Salvage]

I am highly allergic to the stuff and have suffered some of my most serious cases after coming in contact with dogs that had run through it. Winter, spring, summer or fall, you can get a severe case if you come in contact with the oil.

There was a study done a couple of decades ago where some vines were cut and then placed on a metal roof to dry for 18 months. When tested, the vines were nearly as potent as when placed on the roof.

I have heard it is better to bathe with cold water as it does not open up your pores.

 

[Bob Wright]

This is a great time of year to cut poison ivy vines, they are not as toxic
in winter, they are parasitic on trees too.

That is a total myth. I cut some PI/apple trees Christmas eve one year and ended up in the hospital Christmas Day with poison ivy rash in my eyes and all over my face. Then it spread. Missed a week of work...Bob

 

[CGC4200]

poisin ivy fire wood

I have heard of folks getting real sick just from vines clinging to
firewood and using it in wood stove & breathing fumes in, best to scrape
it off before burning.

 

[Bob Wright]

Thats why i never was a good woods guy as i have to stay away from it. I have heard of guys breathing the smoke from woodburners and getting it...Bob

 

[dingeryote]

Full body condom and then a decontamination wash with industrial detergent in the shower, immmediately afterwards.

Just sayin'.

Stay safe!
Dingeryote

 

[eyolf]

Luckily for us in the Northern US and some of Canada, PI doesn't handle cold well, and doesn't get to be shrub sized. In my area, its maybe 2 feet tall most of the time, so not a whole lot of worry about tearing vines off from tree trunks. But the Urushiol oil is still there, and people still get it from handling firewood or clothes that haven't been washed properly after contact.

I get it easily, and my doc told me that its an immune response to the oil. Many people won't get it the first time or two, but as your immune system learns to recognize it, you're sunk; the comment about using up resistance is appropriate...stay clear when you can.

A little boy in my mother's home town died from the effects, and several members of his family were in various stages of tough shape after cleaning up weeds and brush and burning it. In the boy's situation, he got the rash in his lungs, which became Pneumonia. Not to be fooled with.

 

[miking]

It's not parasitic on trees at all but it certainly does cling tightly to the trunk.

 

[CGC4200]

parasitic, maybe or maybe not

Most of the old trees that are on their last legs in these parts have poison
ivy vines.

 

[Mad Professor]

It's not parasitic on trees at all but it certainly does cling tightly to the trunk.

From some of the infected trees I've seen, it is at least symbiotic, and the climbing roots picking up/sharing with the tree's cambium/pholem.

I won't touch those trees for 4-5 years after the vines have been long dead.

The first time I got Ivy on my nuts was all I needed to know.

Carry some dish detergent , it's better than the $$$ crap they push off for oil removal. Wash exposed clothes and tools too.

P.S. Your dog/cat is an efficient poison ivy vector. DON"T let them sit on your lap/bed/couch.......