Poison Ivy UPDATE

john in la · Mar 24, 2009

I sent the picture to our county agent and got his email back. He said this is southern poison ivy.

I must be immune or not allergic to it because I did not break out.
While I was right in the middle of a big vine by the time I noticed it; I did come straight inside a take a good hot shower. About 24 hrs later I did have 3 or 4 spots on my arms; forehead; and back of my neck that tingled and itched a little it was nothing more than spots that felt like my arm was going to sleep. I never did get any red spots or break out in blisters.
It has been 48 hrs now and all signs and itch are totally gone.

I guess I better break out the roundup and sprayer this weekend because there is no use pushing my luck.

Thanks for all the advise giving on the original post.

Ray · Mar 24, 2009

I think your lucky,a hot shower is the worst thing you can do.The hot water opens your pores and can absorb the poison.A cold shower is best.

JBMac · Mar 24, 2009

John,

I was going to chime in the other day, but it looked like there was plenty of advice already. I live in N. Florida and that"s what the plant looks like here, I pretty sure we have similar climates. Consider yourself lucky, you and I and probably others on the board are part of the 30% of the population that are immune to it, for lack of a better word. I got into it pretty heavy last weekend myself. For the first time, I"m noticing some very small blisters on my arm where I toted some firewood with vines attached. I"ve read you can develop reactions to it later on, especially when it"s hot and your sweat pores are open. They really don"t itch or bother me, by my wife was complaining today that her legs were itchin" quite a bit. She wasn"t out there with me but I think she washed my dungarees with some of her britches (luckily no intimates!) So a word of warning, I think it might be spread through the wash. This is also a good time to get on a soap box about pesticides, y"all. Be sure to wash any clothes you spray in seperate from the family"s wash.

John

2x4 · Mar 25, 2009

my case turned out to be barely noticable also. Must be Poison Ivy is weak in the spring when it first comes out; otherwise I'da got a lot worse case. Always heard the Indians nibbled the early leaf tips in the spring, taking care not to let it touch their lips. Gave them immunity the rest of the year. Never had the nerve to try it.

rbel · Mar 25, 2009

Becareful around that stuff.
Although you may not be allergic to it this time the next could be a violent reaction.
I normally do not react much, but last year I had a really bad case. Dr says I probably will always have it bad from now on

Anonymous-0 · Mar 25, 2009

Even after you use Roundup it can be a threat. Don't burn the vines as the smoke will carry it into your lungs.

showcrop · Mar 25, 2009

John, I don't believe that Roundup will work on it.I've had very good luck with Ortho's Brush Killer B. It takes just a small amount in water so it is very economical to use too.

Billy NY · Mar 25, 2009

You probably did not get enough urishiol on you, but just the mention of some slight itching or something noticeable, I would think the opposite to be safe. Same thing happened to me, very slight reaction, after working near the plants that were only shoe height. Be interesting to hear the results of mitigating this plant, as long as you do not get that substance on the skin, you'll be fine, wear long sleeves, gloves, clean the tools in solvent etc., take time to work carefully, I've physically removed plants, just have to use a lot of care when doing so. I would suggest eye protection, I am not sure if one breaks the plant whether the substance can spray out, seems like it just oozes after it's cut.

jack harmon · Mar 25, 2009

I get the stinking stuff every year seems like,sometimes a week later!better than spraying the leaves,that stuff has a massive root system sometimes,better to cut it and paint the brush killer type roundup on the part going into ground.if the stem is any size that is.the stuff is hard to get rid of around here you really have to catch it early enough you can spray it all,if you just spray the part you can reach it just slows it down a little.I finally found a old can of the good weedkiller they used to sell,and I think I'm gaining on it now.(cant recall the name offhand)I've heard that mixing a couple of pounds of salt in 2-3 gallons of water and adding about a cup of soap to make it stick will kill it.whatever you do,spray it with soapy water first,or add some soap to your spray,the oil in the leaves also makes weedkiller run off,hope this helps.

jack harmon · Mar 25, 2009

and as the others have said,NEVER burn it! girl I grew up with,got in the smoke when her dad burnt some,got it in her lungs and she very nearly died.poor girl was sick for months.

Nancy Howell · Mar 25, 2009

Doctors say your immunity is greatest at the first exposure and you become more susceptible each time you get it on you.

Kill the stuff!!!! If you want to remove it use tools. Do not handle even with gloves unless you plan to throw the gloves away. The dead foliage and vine will retain the oil for years and the "itchy stuff" is in the oil.

glennster · Mar 25, 2009

john, for a good weed killer for poison ivy, a fella here a while back gave me his recipe. really works good and not expensive. roundup, 2-4 d and couple drops of dish soap. i use a pump sprayer, mix 16 oz generic roundup (killzall 41%) 8 oz of 2-4d and 2-1/2 gallons of water with a few drops of dish soap. the dish soap gets it to stick to thw waxy leaves. it will burn down the ivy in about 2 weeks.

Poison Ivy UPDATE

john in la

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Ray

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JBMac

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2x4

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rbel

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Anonymous-0

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showcrop

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Billy NY

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jack harmon

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jack harmon

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Nancy Howell

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glennster

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