I have three trees to take down over at dads. One is a walnut, one is a wild cherry and I thick the last one is a hickory, but not 100% sure. All three of them on on the property line bordering an overgrown tree area. All three have poison ivy growing up the tree. I cut a 3" section out of the poison ivy last summer (not this past, but last year) to try and help kill the ivy vines. Growing up, I was really allergic to poison ivy, but not so much these days. I;ll get a few bumps here and there but not break out and have to go to the hospital like when I was a kid. Anyways, all three trees dad wants down. I planned on using them for firewood. Is it going to be safe to burn these in a year or two if they are cut split and stacked, Or will the poison ivy still be airborne? No pics, as its dark when I get off work, but the walnut tree is the worst, it has about 1.5" thick ivy vines. The rest are normal sized ivy 3/8" to 1/2" diameter vines growing up the tree.
Id get the poison ivy off the tree before splitting and burning. That stuff is no good to breath in and the oils in the ivy linger around long after the vine dies
Get some tools, gloves etc and get the vines off. They are not safe until the decompose. Make sure you wear eye protection, be careful removing your clothing and get them into the wash with out you comming in contact with any surface any poison ivy material may be on. Think of it as wet paint that you don't want on you.
There is a natural poison ivy soap available at some health food stores. I am not sure of the brand but it is about 2.5 inches in diameter and brown in color. I have found it to work very well for me. Wash up good or use it in the shower after possible contact with poison ivy and generally don't get any symptoms. If I get poison ivy very bad I will wash it off and then lather the soap really good on the blisters and let it dry on there for awhile, it drys the blisters out and helps heal it up quickly.
I've found it easier to use a hatchet and flat blade shovel/pickaxe to pry the main vine loose, and peel as much away as is possible before bucking. It should be dormant by now up your way - seems to keep the juices to a minimum. It will still cause a rash, but this time of year your less likely to be wiping sweat off your brow, and exposed skin will be minimized.
We cut lots of trees that have poison ivy growing on them. I used to also try cutting a section out and leaving them a year or two but they would somehow still be alive. Fortunately it does not bother me much. If it is small, I simply leave it and don't worry about it. Sometimes on some I'll just take the axe and shave it off the tree after felling it but before bucking it up.
That was my thought, as it can be pryed off fairly easy. problem is it has been cold but not below freezing much, it keeps having warm spurts that has me wondering. It was 50 last weekend and I didn't cut them down because of it.
as long as the temps are tolerable enough to keep a long sleeve shirt on, you should be good. You don't want to be handling the rounds or stacking arm loads of splits in short sleeves. The little tendril roots will still be attached and you can get it from them as well
I have constant battles with poison ivy. I like the above posts but I'll add the following: 1. Use "throw-away' long-sleeved shirts, gloves, etc. I think Thistle or someone mentioned getting cutting clothes from Goodwill or other such places... I like it. If I know I have a ton of the urushiol (oil) on my gloves, they get tossed. 2. As Backwoods mentioned, use an axe to get all the vines off and maybe even the bark. They will get you until they're basically rotted down to nothing. Edit- I've used the Technu and also use dish detergent in the shower.... If by chance I get it, I'm a big fan of Benadryl Clear and calamine lotion. The Clear actually helps the itching/pain.
Best poison ivy remedy I've come across is a bit of tilex. Just spray a little bit on when you start getting blisters. Let it site for a minute or two, and wash it off with water. It'll dry the blister right up. I learned that trick from some landscaping guys
Can't believe none of you recommended Jewel weed. Google it. Best thing I've ever used and the price is right.
Poison ivy loves to grow on my ash trees. Luckily I don't get it too bad. The trick to not getting it at all, is keeping the oils off your skin, and washing off any that does get on it. I don't buy anything special for this - dish soap is excellent for removing oils - that's why you wash dishes with it.
Don't get any of the oil on yer hands and then take a wiz. Trust me when I say you will be in for a week of yer life you will NEVER forget!
