Help with poison ivy

[rygar]

i am looking to fell 2 trees. 1 of them has like 2 or 3 thin vines of PI growing and the other has like 7 or 8. The little hairs are pretty dug in, i was trying to pull them out yesterday with a semi long stick and latex coated rubber gloves and was have the worst time. do you guys have an good ideas on how to get rid of the vines? Also, once the vines are off, what can i do to get the oil off the wood or at least reduced.

i will not be burning the wood with vines, waht i will do is split off all the bark to ensure i am good to go.

 

[kennyp2339]

Cut them now and let them dry for a few weeks, they should start to loosen there grip from the bark.

 

[mrd1995]

Use an Axe or Hatchet cut in perpendicular and then use the tool to cut it off the tree with parallel cuts between the bark and vine.

 

[rygar]

will do. i will get the machete out and cut a good 2" section out of them and then hit them with round up and then wait a few weeks to dig them out. if i pour very hot water on the tree after the vines are off (from an elevated and secured position to prevent splashing on me) will that help wiht the oil or is the urushiol just that much of a bastard that it iwll laugh at it.

 

[GadDummit]

I do the same as rygar. Cut, roundup real good, and let the bastards die.

 

[peakbagger]

Note there are several good videos on You tube about avoiding a rash from poison ivy. There is also some protective barrier cream that you apply prior to exposure. Use that in combination with post cleanup and you can avoid the rash.

The short version is the oil in the ivy that causes the rash is the equivalent to thick axle grease for tenacity in sticking to your skin. Unfortunately the ivy oil is transparent. It has to be removed with a detergent good for removing grease combined with a very thorough mechanical scrubbing. The scrubbing breaks the bond with the skin and the polar molecules in detergent grab the loose oil and carries it off with the rinse water. The barrier products form a shield on top of the skin that prevents the ivy oil from sticking as tenaciously. A very similar product is used industrially for folks who are exposed to skin irritants. Amazon product ASIN B001CJGE7Q. I am less confident in using these in place with a lot of skin irritation and sweating but as long as the post exposure clean up is done you should not get the rash.

Of course some people are already super sensitized and they just need to stay out of the wood and hope non one has bon fire with poison ivy up wind.

 

[hickoryhoarder]

I just cut them at the bottom. Sometimes they can then be tugged off, starting at the bottom. If not, if the wood is in stacks two years, that dead poison ivy won't have much oil in it. And might be easily pulled off the 16" logs after a few months.

 

[fbelec]

i've done two different things 1 split it and stack it in a different pile and when the wood dries the bark will fall off 2 before you buck it spray it with (i use orange) spray paint so you don't put your hand in the wrong spot and run it through the splitter to take off the bark. i can't remember where i read it but the article said that the urshoil is good for three years after the vine dies.

 

[logfarmer]

I try my best not to use wood that poison ivy is on, I’m allergic to it and the oil can stay on a surface for 5 yrs. Its really bad if it gets to your lungs by burning it. I’ll chop the vine at the base and spray the crap out of it, I do that to any tree that I come across with ivy on it. I hate that stuff!!