Poison ivy and firewood

[KMB]

I was picking up some oak rounds that a friend had left me from a tree removal. Some of the rounds had poison ivy vines on them. I pulled off the vines as best I could. I know not to burn poison ivy, but will it be okay to burn the wood that HAD poison ivy on it? For health purposes.

Kevin

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

Hmmmmm. I'd guess that so little of the ivy would remain that it shouldn't be a problem.

But that's just my guess.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

We just cut a bunch of Black Locust that was wrapped up in Poison Oak a few weeks ago. I still have the rash on my arm :help: . We just pulled it all off as we split it. I'm prepared for next time though with a bottle of Tecnu at my disposal. There's still about a cord of it to be cut.

Ian

 

[STIHLSamantha]

depending on how much poison ivy is on the tree when you cut it and how much you cut of the actual plant itself will determine whether it is able to be burned. I say this because poison ivy secretes a fluid called Uroshiol. If you cut the leaves and this fluid gets on the logs, there is a possibility that you may get some Uroshiol droplets airborn when and only when you burn it. If you pull the vines off instead of cutting the tree and the vines up so that the liquid can spread on the logs, then you will have a better chance of poison ivy free wood to burn. if the wood is covered in it, i would avoid that all together, but a few vines here or there are not going to hurt anything. You also want to wear gloves whenever you handle it because the Uroshiol lingers for quite some time...even sitting in your basement for months....to me it wouldn't really be worth the hassle...i'd be more worried getting a rash on the body from the wood then inhaling dangerous fumes....that is all i have to say....hope it helped....i have to say though, i am not an expert....good luck

 

[KMB]

depending on how much poison ivy is on the tree when you cut it and how much you cut of the actual plant itself will determine whether it is able to be burned. I say this because poison ivy secretes a fluid called Uroshiol. If you cut the leaves and this fluid gets on the logs, there is a possibility that you may get some Uroshiol droplets airborn when and only when you burn it. If you pull the vines off instead of cutting the tree and the vines up so that the liquid can spread on the logs, then you will have a better chance of poison ivy free wood to burn. if the wood is covered in it, i would avoid that all together, but a few vines here or there are not going to hurt anything. You also want to wear gloves whenever you handle it because the Uroshiol lingers for quite some time...even sitting in your basement for months....to me it wouldn't really be worth the hassle...i'd be more worried getting a rash on the body from the wood then inhaling dangerous fumes....that is all i have to say....hope it helped....i have to say though, i am not an expert....good luck

Thanks for the info. The wood was already cut up/blocked when I got to it. Between 5 to 8 rounds (can't fully recall) had very little poison ivy vine on them, and the vine had to be pulled off - not brushed off. There was some bigger rounds (obviously near the base of the tree), that had quite a bit more on them, but I left those. It has rained pretty hard on the wood the last few days, so maybe the liquid has washed off. And yes, I was wearing gloves, but in a t-shirt (I didn't let any wood touch my bare arms). Been a few days since getting the wood and no rash, I think I'm good to go. I had my first experience with poison ivy a couple of years ago...and I NEVER want to go through that again .

Kevin

 

[BlueRidgeMark]

The liquid is an oil, so a little rain isn't going to do much. On the other hand, I haven't seen much sap in the roots, so I suspect the only contact with the urishiol is going to be where the saw cut the vines.

Pretty small exposure, it seems to me.

 

[PA. Woodsman]

It's amazing how LONG the oils can stay around and give you a nasty rash. Just had an episode with poison a few months ago while cutting up Cherry and Cherry Birch wood; got it on my legs pretty good. Once got it from some tree that was down a long time; guy I know warned me that poison can stick around for a long time. I thought "yeah right-this stuff is dead". Boy was I wrong!

 

[laynes69]

Im one of those people who would rather not wear gloves when cutting and handling wood. Last year everyother week I was taking something for poison ivy prescribed by the doctor. I had it pretty bad at times. I like to remove the vines before cutting the wood, But if not thats okay. I have burnt wood with alot of poison ivy on it, some of the vines around 3 inches in diameter. As far as a health concern, We havent had any. Then again we have no neighbors to worry about. Unless your burning pure poison ivy vines, I woudn't worry about it. I will say though, if anyone is very allergic to it, then dont burn it. I know people who are so bad, they look at it and get it. Sometimes its not a good feeling.

 

[Haywire Haywood]

If you are allergic to it and breathe the smoke from burning vines, it can result in a hospital stay. I have heard of it actually causing death in extreme cases. Imagine having weeping sores in your lungs... ACK!

Ian

 

[MS-310]

I was just going to start a thread about this....

I was cutting some "bass" wood up in town for a guy cuz the tree fell down on his house. It had LOTS OF IVY on it, first I have never had the stuff before so I never worried about it un till now. I have it in my mouth, eyes and all over my body, I dont know how I got it in my mouth but it is there, had to go to the e-room becuz I started to not breath well and my eye was shut. So im on lots of drugs but im feeling better, whats the best way to prevent this again, (i know stay away) . I hate that stuff now. I have been in the woods when I was 2 to 3 years old with my dad and y now do I have a problem with this Ivy its bull.

 

[smokechase II]

poison

STIHLSamantha is right on.

MS-310 if you cut through that stuff with your saw you could have got a small amount of pitch in your mouth. Say you were not wearing a face shield and you spit out a chip of wood that was .....

The other mechanism that works against us is once you get it in your body, it circulates and rashes appear where the skin is irritated. Say at the elastic on your underwear or where your pants are too tight or in arm pits pf people that dig fireline. Even though that part of your body has not come in contact with external Uroshiol exposure.
If you go to: http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/pivy.html they state at #4 that this is a myth. I had extensive experience myself treating poison oak in fire camps, many hundreds of poor saps, and also myself. I do not believe this to be a myth.

I do not recall any mouth reactions to poison oak etc. except for when I was at Oregon State University in the dendro class. Some students would taste and smell just about everything. Including winter stems that did not have leaves for easy ident.
Bad - not good.

 

[MS-310]

My doctor even said it can be in the blood stream, he said that is y I have it all over my feet and legs and freaking every where.

 

[JUDGE1162]

I would not burn it in an open fireplace, but in an air tight stove you should be fine, it it season, time will help degrade the wood (UV light will destroy most things over time, and as it seasons the bark should fall off or at least loosen so you can pull it off most of the oil should be on the bark.

 

[KMB]

I would not burn it in an open fireplace, but in an air tight stove you should be fine, it it season, time will help degrade the wood (UV light will destroy most things over time, and as it seasons the bark should fall off or at least loosen so you can pull it off most of the oil should be on the bark.

My wood is burnt in an enclosed woodburner/stove, so for my personal use I should be okay.

Kevin

 

[stihl025]

Zanfel

Not to get too far off the topic, but there is a product called Zanfel. It can be found at most larger drug store chains. It costs $40 for a 1 ounce tube but is worth its weight in gold. I am not severly allergic to poison ivy, but I will get a pretty good rash if exposed to it. You use this stuff directly on the rash and in two days, the rash is almost completely gone. I have used it with astounding success. It completely removes the urushiol oil from the skin and stops the itch in about 10 seconds of treatment. Works on Poison ivy, oak, and sumac. Just a little FYI for those still fighting the itch...

 

[JUDGE1162]

vinager and baking soda works great too. Much cheaper:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[Forest Steward]

I have been in the woods when I was 2 to 3 years old with my dad and y now do I have a problem with this Ivy its bull.

The more often you come into contact with the oil in poison ivy, the more vulnerable you become to it. That's why you can not be allergic to it when you were a kid, and break out like crazy now. Same thing happened to me. It definatley sucks.

 

[joshockey]

sorry to hijack i too just started cutting down trees that had some poison ivy on them the vines are very small but i was concerned about burning them in my fireplace. the wood has been seasoned but every tree we have here has a vine anyone burning wood with poison ivy on them.

 

[zogger]

I do

I was picking up some oak rounds that a friend had left me from a tree removal. Some of the rounds had poison ivy vines on them. I pulled off the vines as best I could. I know not to burn poison ivy, but will it be okay to burn the wood that HAD poison ivy on it? For health purposes.

Kevin

I would guess around one third of the deadfall I harvest has had perzin ivory on it. I just strip the vines before cutting. I also am a fanatic about killing the stuff when I am out cutting or carrying an axe or hatchet. I chop big sections out of the vines wherever I see them, and also yank roots out if possible. You can go all over around the woods around here and see trees where I have done that for the past going on seven years now, freaking hundreds. maybe more, there's a lot less then there used to be. I know the birds eat the berries in the winter and..I don't care, they can go find something else. I kill poison ivy, multiflora rose, corn buttercups, japanese privet and poke sallet. For some strange reason we don'[t have kudzu bad, else I would kill that, too. Relentless with nasty weeds. It was just over run here when I took the job and moved in. There was between fifteen and twenty years of complete total neglect on the woods and pastures.... Lot less nasty weeds now though, and most of the fencelines are in good to at least working but ugly condition.

Geez it's been a lotta work for crapola pay......

Anyway, I have always been at war with poison ivy...no quarter....when I was a kid I got it so bad every summer I had to be toted to the hospital...ever since then..total war wherever I have lived.

I don't make a habit of standing over an open wood heater and breathing the smoke either, so that negates getting any from any oils left over on the bark, and I wear gloves when working. I can get poison ivy, but know enough to avoid it most of the year/time. So I would think unless you are super hyper sensitive, it is OK to burn, just use common sense around wood smoke. I had to give up doing rural volunteer firefighting because of poison ivy, just too sensitive to it, but as long as I keep my wits about me when around it, it is hardly a problem for me anymore. And like I said, I burn a lot of wood that has had it growing on it, just the vines are stripped first.

 

[Misfit138]

I will never recommend anyone play with poison ivy by cutting or burning logs that have it on them.
Once that urushiol is on something, it remains for years.
If you absolutely need to mess with poison ivy-covered wood, wear a Tyvek suit and gloves. You'll save yourself a whole mess of trouble.

I am not that sensitive to it, but I have known and worked with a quite a few guys over the years who ended up in really bad shape (a couple had to be hospitalized for days) from cutting trees with it on them and one from breathing in fumes.
Be careful.