Poison Ivy

Wood score I had about two weeks ago I posted about, well some of it had some poison ivy vines on it.

I was careful and pulled most of it off but probably didn't get them all. My question is should I axe off what I see and can find still attached to the rounds or just let those rounds sit for a loong period of time and let it die/dry up on it's own.

 

My SOP with those vines is to avoid cutting them with a saw as much as possible. I don’t want the dust and oils from them getting airborne and covering everything. I pry them off as best I can, but as for the little hairy remnants that get left behind, I don’t worry about them. I haven’t had any issues yet when they do go into my stove a couple years later.

 

Thanks for info, I probably should have thought of that when cutting

Would like to get it split to start drying but I know I'll loose track of being careful and probably end up with that crap on me somewhere somehow. The stuff is a PITA seems to get everywhere!!!

 

I am sure to get it all off before it hits the burner. When I was a kid a couple girls in the neighborhood had a run in with some poison ivy smoke at an outdoor get together. One had it IN her ears and nose, the other had some on back of her throat and in nose. If I hadn't lived through it I would likely argue that it's impossible. I don't really get poison anymore but when it comes to smoke, I mitigate out of fear.

 

Yep, can happen. They say it can happen if you mow it too, but I have mowed a bunch in my life and I keep my face inside my shirt and mow downwind.

 

We have cut some BIG PO/PI vines. When using the saw, I try to use the top of the bar and lower speeds, to clean area for notching. Sometimes use the axe and hookaroon to cut/pull vines off once trees are down. I've also worn disposable coveralls and gloves when dealing with big amounts of it. It can be a pain. Grapple works great for removing vines too.
The biggest PO vines I've ever dealt with.
Dead pine, green is all PO...
About the size of a small tree
I've also used loppers to cut and pull vines off...

 

I'd say it depends on how bad you get it. For me, it all needs to come off. Every time I am exposed, I end up on Prednisone.

 

For me, it all comes off. I try to separate before bucking if I can. If not, I do it before loading. I never used to get any reaction to poison when I was younger but the older I get, the worse I get it.

 

Honestly, this is the first time I've gotten it. Itching hasn't been terrible and tolerable. Sometimes it seems to flare up and I want to scratch the chit out of it, but I put some aloe on it and it soothes it quick.

But the one thing I noticed is my one arm is swollen like a son of a gun on one area, almost looks deformed but has subsided a bit now almost a week later.

 

Next time you’re in the shower crank the hot water as high as you can stand it and put the arm directly in the flow. Resist the initial urge to scratch and you’ll get a very satisfying relief.

 

I try to remove what I can but don't stress over it. If I feel any itch start I scrub the area with bleach then with soap and water.

 

Still toxic even after its dry. Id leave and take off when you split/stack them using hatchet or machete.

I don't get it often and when I do its on my forearms when wooding with short sleeves on. I am very mind full around it too.

 

I used to pull any vines off with pliers.
Then I sprayted the pliers off with something like brake cleaner or carb cleaner. I forget what now.

A hatchet sounds good, too.
Supposedly the urushiol oil can persist for a very long time.

The oil is even in the roots.

 

Deathly allergic to the poison oak we have around here. Last time I unknowingly got into it I had to have prednisone shot AM and antihistamine shot PM with pills in between for a week and a half Before it became manageable. Got it in my crotch and eyes as well. Everything was all swollen up. Got to admit though, I had some pretty impressive attributes for a while! If firewood even has a hint of PO on or around it I won't have a thing to do with it!

 

there is one heckuva of a reply here but I can’t post it on a fam friendly forum

I even had it typed out

 

My G - rated reply is my old line foreman put his two granddaughters in the hospital by burning poison ivy vines in his backyard fire pit. It was horrible.

 

Been there done that also. A beach fire with some viney logs sure messed up an early marriage vacation!