Poison ivy

[hardpan]

I generally carry a hatchet or clippers with me and try to cut off the many small vines we now have (most of which are invasive unlike PI). It's a lot easier to get them when they are small.

Yep. Honeysuckle, grape vine, Virginia creeper and PI are my favorites. I mostly cut it out and avoid the chemicals but if it is bad enough or invasive I will spray or cut and paint.

 

[gtrr4]

So is that a Poison Ivy Vine? I was told it was Sumac, is there a differance in appearance?

 

[Mad Professor]

So is that a Poison Ivy Vine? I was told it was Sumac, is there a differance in appearance?

Poison sumac is more of a shrub/bush. You may be thinking of poison oak.

 

[MarylandGuy]

I peel the vine off with an axe, or needle nose plyers if it's small. When I split the round, I split off the outer bark where the "hairs" remain. Then lay the thin splits side by side way back in the woods for a couple of years so the rain hits it. When I am sure there are no oils remaining, I use gloves and feed it to the stove. I take no chances with the stuff. It hits be badly. And as someone mentioned, you don't want to inhale the oils if they are burned.

From my experience, the larger vines seldom give offshoots on the ground after cutting it on the tree. I was always worried about spraying the cut area, but I no longer worry about it. The smaller vines, that's not the case. It will continue to send shoots similar to a locust tree.

I have read from several medical sites that exposure to the oils over a period of years will make you more prone to breakouts. Not sure if that's true, but if it's true, that would suck.

By the way, there has been a wives tale going around for years that the ooze coming from the sores on your skin will spread the outbreak to other areas of your body, or other people. That is not the case. The cause of spreading comes from not addressing your clothing right away. My wife has gotten it several times by shoving my jeans in the wash. The oils are wicked and stay around for a long time.

 

[svk]

Just curious. What is the generally accepted length of time that it takes for PI to degrade and lose it's irritants? I have heard from one to two plus years....

Also is the vine burnable once it has degraded?

 

[zogger]

Just curious. What is the generally accepted length of time that it takes for PI to degrade and lose it's irritants? I have heard from one to two plus years....

Also is the vine burnable once it has degraded?

I wouldn't trust a PI vine to be burnable ever, never, ever. I do trust myself to be able to strip and cut through the remnants of vines once pulled off after one good long year of them being dead on the tree.

 

[svk]

I didn't think so, or would ever try it at the risk of what could happen. Just curious

 

[Ronaldo]

I have cut through a lot of it on tree trunks this time of year and it never bothered me, not sure if its somewhat less active now or if its just because I am covered well with winter duds. Summer or fall it really gets me if I am around it.

 

[svk]

I picked up a pair of rubber "chemical" gloves from TSC for 3 bucks. I may try and strip the couple of logs that I've got laying around here tomorrow so I can buck them this summer. I chopped all of the vines last summer so they've already got a few months of decay started.

 

[fubar2]

Wack it in two places about a foot apart and pry midsection out so the cut ends don't regrow.

 

[svk]

Wack it in two places about a foot apart and pry midsection out so the cut ends don't regrow.

That's exactly what I did last fall at the children's camp. All of those trees are now on the ground and I'll buck them at a later date.

 

[fubar2]

That's exactly what I did last fall at the children's camp. All of those trees are now on the ground and I'll buck them at a later date.

I learned that from doing wild Grape Vines. If they can even smell each other they will rejoin.

 

[CTYank]

I've found out the hard way that if I'm going to be disturbing PI in any way, to take regular small doses of "Oral Ivy" mixed into my favorite beverage for a couple weeks (if possible) before approaching the infernal stuff. Greatly reduces severity. Also reduces reaction after the fact, but you need to take more of it, more often.

PI sensitivity waxes and wanes, never can tell how it'll hit you today.

 

[hupte]

also the oil goes from the roots to the leaves in the spring and from the leaves to the roots in the fall. so its most contagious during those times. or if you dig up the roots in the winter you'll get it then.

 

[buzz sawyer]

I am clearing a small lot with small trees and vines - some are poison ivy. What about running these through a chipper/shreader?
Could chipping them put the PI sap into the air? The only other option would be a roll-off container and have everything hauled away. That seems like the safest thing right now.

 

[svk]

A chipper would be terrible.

 

[mr.finn]

I would not chip it.

 

[sledge&wedge]

I didn't think so, or would ever try it at the risk of what could happen. Just curious

My grandpa burned up a 4-5 year old brush pile way back in the day that had poison ivy vines torn out of a fence row in it... ended up in the hospital with poison ivy in his throat and lungs. I'd have to agree with NEVER burning it, but I guess sometimes you may not really have another option to get rid of it.

 

[blades]

Never use anything that could possible put the oil/sap into the air as some sort of mist or vapor, chippers, chainsaws, burning ect.

 

[buzz sawyer]

Yep, that's what I thought! Thanks for the replies.