Downed tree loaded with poison ivy...

[Badfish740]

The good news is I had a huge locust come down in the back (no damage to anything) on Friday during the Nor'Easter, so I'll have some good firewood eventually. The bad news is its loaded with poison ivy. It's in the yard, so leaving it is not an option-I have to cut it up and get it out of here no matter what. Any ideas? I cut up a smaller one today that had some vines, but nothing readily identifiable as poison ivy (ie: the "hairy vine"), but afterwards I stripped, put all clothing straight in the washer, wiped down my tools with Tech-Nu, and washed and rinsed with Tech-Nu twice before applying Tech-Nu a third time and jumping in the shower. I suppose I could just do the same again for the other tree and hope for the best. I'm fairly sensitive to it so at the first sign of a reaction I'll head to my doctor for a cortisone shot.

 

[lost in the woods]

i feel your pain. neighbor across the crick had a bunch of locust, elm, and ash cut down near his house and they were all covered with poison ropes. I was like thanks but no thanks bro

 

[pernox]

Just don't burn it. It would be a nasty way to check out.

 

[armanidog]

Be sure and use a respirator/air-tight mask and goggles while cutting. A chain saw can cause fine poison ivy sawdust which can be inhaled and get in your eyes.

 

[shoot-straight]

Best tool I have found to use in these situations is a machete. DONT CUT THEM WITH THE SAW! Just whack them cleanly about every 4' or so. Then use the blade to wedge the pieces off. I eevn Use the blade to kind push them into a pile out of the way. Done it many times and it worked great, and I'm super sensitive.

Best case, cut them with the machete, and then let them sit for a month or so and dry out some. Then go back to things.


Many many moons ago when I was a scout, a fellow scout put some vines in the campfire. It was terrible. We all went down. Eyes swollen shut, blisters in throat and lungs... terrible.

I have become a professional in avoiding it.

 

[BenTN]

I have used machete on smaller vines but prefer a straight hoe/floor scraper for the larger fully attached hairy vines. The longer handle on the hoe gives another foot or three away from the danger. Dust mask wouldn't be a bad idea if your that sensitive as those hairs do fly when removing. Definitely do not saw, that's how I became sensitive to it.

 

[HItz]

The other key with poison Ivy is to wash immediately after being around it, including your clothes. For most people it takes time for the oil to really do its thing so if you wash it off within an hour or two most people won't get the hives. This has worked for me.

Last time I had a tree covered with ivy I wore disposable gloves and ripped the vines off while wearing a mask. Showered right afterwards and had no problems.

 

[jwfirebird]

going to have to try the machete, I usually keep one in the atv box anyway, I have a ton. I normally get it a couple times a year. not during the wood gathering I always have gloves and crap on but during the summer when I forget and try to split something or cleaning trails. but if I remember and leave it in the woods I don't usually get it

 

[BIGChrisNH]

Machete is a good call in this situation. A neighbor of mine went in aggressively on an area of his property loaded with poison ivy using a chainsaw and took a trip to the hospital after inhaling a bunch of it. Needless to say he learned his lesson. Be careful!

 

[Kevin Weis]

Haven't gotten it for the last 25 years. Before I was 20 all I had to do was look at and I'd be in the doctors office. Now I can work through forests of it with no virtually no ill effects. I heard it can work this way and vice versa. I still take precautions though. Murphy's law you know. With that said cutting the vine in sections and removing the vine from the trunk is the way to go. If it's a fine piece of oak, I would pass it up because of the vine. Definitely do not burn as mentioned above. My father did that cleaning up the yard back in the 60's. Everyone suffered greatly that came in contact with the smoke. Kevin

 

[mountain man 2]

Are you sure it poison ivy...I justcut up some nice ash n it had evergreen ivy all over it......difference is evergreen leaves stays green all year....just sayin?

 

[WiscWoody]

Haven't gotten it for the last 25 years. Before I was 20 all I had to do was look at and I'd be in the doctors office. Now I can work through forests of it with no virtually no ill effects. I heard it can work this way and vice versa. I still take precautions though. Murphy's law you know. With that said cutting the vine in sections and removing the vine from the trunk is the way to go. If it's a fine piece of oak, I would pass it up because of the vine. Definitely do not burn as mentioned above. My father did that cleaning up the yard back in the 60's. Everyone suffered greatly that came in contact with the smoke. Kevin

Yeah... for some reason Poison Ivy doesn’t seem to bother me but it did to my siblings when we’d be in a area of it but I still try to avoid it in case I have become sensitized to it now.