Good Year For Poison Ivy

[landtracdeerhunter]

Looks like a bumper crop.

[turkeyfeathers]

I got itchy looking at those pics 

[Robhuntandfish]

Yup already have it on my right knee.  Lol.  

When I was a kid I could walk right thru it and no issues.  Now I get it every damn year

[First-light]

I just caught it from your picture! lol If I'm downwind I get it! 

[Jeremy K]

I'm not even sure i'm allergic to it , i've never had a reaction to it . Even when in a place where others have gotten it.

[landtracdeerhunter]

My grandfather never got it, but my dad does; go figure. 

I'm one of the lucky ones that never seem to catch it also. It's not all glory though. Guess who gets the bill for cleaning it out of tree stand trees, LOL. I don't play in it, but when handled, I wash up with my own bar soap. I have my own towels and wash cloths, as other family members catch it from me.   

Edited May 27, 2018 by landtracdeerhunter

[grampy]

I remember the time, with backwoods Annie.

I got nothing, but ivy covered her fanny.

grin.......

[KMurph332]

I had it really bad when i was a kid i needed steroids and alot of soaking in the pool the chlorine dries it out helped alot now i can walk right threw it and never have a problem i must have built a immunity to it

[nyslowhand]

^^^ this is not the typical case. Generally you become more prone to PI's effects. Never heard of building an immunity to it, but wish I had..!

[stubborn1VT]

I had it and got rid of it once already this year.  It's growing really well right now.

33% of people get poison ivy, and can get rid of it fairly easily.

33% of people have a strong reaction, and often need steroids to get rid of it. (That's me!!!)

33% of people have NO reaction to poison ivy.  (I wish.)

[turkeyfeathers]

Never had it. Used to hawk for golf balls in it all the time as a kid wearing shorts. Also a lot of letter boxing ( similar to geocaching) wearing shorts n sandals. Somehow the planter always picked a hide location at the base of a big tree surrounded in PI.  Backpack had a hand sanitizer hanging from it and would wipe down legs after tip toeing through it. My friend gets it bad every year. Even winter once from carrying in firewood.  

[landtracdeerhunter]

14 hours ago, stubborn1VT said:

I had it and got rid of it once already this year.  It's growing really well right now.

33% of people get poison ivy, and can get rid of it fairly easily.

33% of people have a strong reaction, and often need steroids to get rid of it. (That's me!!!)

33% of people have NO reaction to poison ivy.  (I wish.)

Never knew that many people have no reaction to it.  Quite a large number of the population really.

I take my hatchet along on walks chopping at the base of trees Try to keep it in check.. I see it's creeping into some open land from wooded areas. Really quite a hardy plant.

[nyslowhand]

This is a rather long winded read, but I have extensive experience with working around and dealing with PI's side effects. Sorry...!

Property I had previously owned was abandoned farmland, which was overgrown with multi-flower rose and poison ivy. Damned PI was so well established some vines were growing up the trees with bases that were ~5-6" thick and grew across neighboring tree tops. And you only thought it was a ground plant...!??!

You can spray to control it, but generally requires an $$ brush type of weed killer. Since it grows as a underground runner root system, it almost always comes back from these controlled sprayings. Mowing keeps it in check, but to completely remove it is a very labor & time intense operation tilling up the root systems, numerous times. Not very feasible out in the woods..!

Here's the problem with poison ivy... the (urushiol) oil from the plant that causes the skin irritations is invisible. It gets on shovels. clippers, shoes/boots, pant legs, and even the gloves worn while working around it. Think about this next time you un-tie your boots after walking thru PI, even rubber boots have the oil on them. I get a couple of mild cases of PI irritation on my inner wrists each year from putting on/taking off the leather gloves I wear to help protect me from it. Think about this while working and swatting mosquitoes or black flies while wearing your work gloves..! As much as you like to take Fido out with you, they'll get covered with the oil too and spread it around the house and your hands if you pet him'her after these outdoors exposures. Oh yeah, do yourself a favor and soak/rinse your chainsaw chains w/gasoline before taking them somewhere to be resharpened. Trust me, if you don't you'll get cursed or asked NOT to return....!

Not sure exactly, but there's a timeframe for the exposure to begin it's irritation process. So when you get home or finished, wash your hands/arms with Dawn dish soap and use only cold water. Warm/hot water opens the pores on your skin and the scrubbing will force the oil into your skin. As crazy as it sounds, it is logical & really works! I've also used a gas soaked rag to clean-up with if I couldn't wash-up within a reasonable time. Gasoline does come with its' own skin irritation issues...!

Pink calamine lotion will dry up mild, small areas of irritation. No clue why, but the clear calamine does NOT work as well. Have tried the very expensive OTC lotions/soaps and found they don't work exponentially better considering their $$. More extreme or larger areas of PI irritation almost always requires a visit to your Dr & prescribed steroids, Prednisone. Neither remedy is an overnight relief, it takes time to clear-up! Easy for me to say, but try not to itch the infected areas...!

[Water Rat]

I get it every year , but the poison ivy blisters in between the fingers is torture.

[Steuben Jerry]

On ‎5‎/‎28‎/‎2018 at 5:55 AM, stubborn1VT said:

33% of people have NO reaction to poison ivy.

I'm hoping I'm in this group. I've never had it.

I remember a few times as a kid goofing around in the woods building forts and whatnot where my buddies had all gotten it, and I never did.

[stubborn1VT]

7 minutes ago, Steuben Jerry said:

I'm hoping I'm in this group. I've never had it.

I remember a few times as a kid goofing around in the woods building forts and whatnot where my buddies had all gotten it, and I never did.

When I was working as a landscaper on Martha's Vineyard, I saw a guy tear up a handful of poison ivy and chew on it.  He then proceeded to lie down in a patch in it and catch a few ZZZ's after lunch.

[dbHunterNY]

seems odd that i haven't gotten it. i know i've had to come into contact with it.  i do know that i often wash up when i come in the house. usually with a heavy duty soap that cuts grease and most likely oils from poison ivy. still others have gotten it and it's around.

[philoshop]

I know what it looks like and how to avoid it, but every fall when I sort through the camo gear I end up with a small itchy patch somewhere on my arms or hands. The oil doesn't dissipate very quickly.

[Fletch]

I could roll in it as a kid and never got it. I first started getting reactions to it in my late 20's. I have had it a few times very bad all over including face and such and got steroid treatment. It can almost drive you nuts. I have tried ALL remedies from straight bleach, gasoline, tea, oatmeal, all over the counter products...…….baths, blocks, rinses...….

 

The one product I swear by is Tecnu scrub. I shower after I come in and use the scrub on hands, wrists and face where I may have contacted. I rarely get poison ivy now. If I do get a bubble or two as above the pink calamine helps.

 

I get it most from the dog now.

 

One of the questions for God if I get lucky enough to meet one day....Why poison ivy, mosquitos and ticks...…?