Identifying, Removing, and Treating Poison Ivy

Walking through the the woods and admiring all or natures goodness can be a such a natural rush. Unfortunately there is a culprit hiding in all that beauty. It’s poison ivy and if you aren’t careful you can get a rash that can make life miserable. But because this plant looks so innocent you can’t realize the seriousness until you have gotten the blistering itchy rash that can last up to weeks and also could be life threatening.

Identifying Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy blends in so well with other plants that sometimes it really is hard to identify it. There will always be three leaves to a stem. Of the three leaves, the middle main leaf is a bit larger than the side leaflets. Poison ivy can be a vine, plant or grow as a bush, making this plant hard to identify and the leaf itself can be textured or smooth, glossy or dull. The leaf shape may have a notch or can have smooth edges, never serrated so at least we can somewhat narrow down a few masqueraders! You may also notice the reddish green stems or vines and may be accompanied by green berries or tiny white flowers. Poison ivy leaves change throughout the year, so be aware that the leaves can be a reddish green to a reddish brown in the autumn/winter, and bright green to a deep green in the spring/summer. No matter what time of year, poison ivy can infect.

Poison Ivy Removal

Removal of this poison ivy should be done professionally especially if the area is large and in areas that are hard to reach such as trees. If the area is small patches of poison ivy . cover the area with newspaper and black plastic bags. The lack of sunlight will smother the plants after 3-4 weeks. Make sure you wear protective clothing such as a long sleeved shirt, long pants. socks and shoes. Long lined rubber gloves that you can throw away, do not use latex as they are too thin and can easily roll off. Pull the vines and stuff into plastic garbage bags. Knot up bags and dispose in garbage. Throw away gloves and wash clothes immediately. Never try to mow or use a weed wacker as the blade or string make the oils fly in the air, multiplying your chances of hitting the human skin. Setting fire to Poison Ivy can be worse, the fumes can get into the lungs and hospitalization may be required.