poison ivy/oak

[wdswtr]

With the recent concerns over hogweed why is there no concern over the poison ivy and poison oak that is overtaking this state.  Anyone else notice just driving down the roads all the trees that are being overtaken by this stuff.  I herbicide my property for it when I started to notice it getting overwhelming.  It has been quite the task but its working atleast. I have a buddy in Bville that has 100 acres and theres not a single tree thats is hasnt overtaken.  Vines completely encapsilating the trees.  It is all over the place on the trees going down the thruway and 81. 

[Doc]

I have also noted the advance of poison ivy in our area over the past decades. I also seem to remember reading an article somewhere quite a long time ago, that the problem has been noted by the DEC, but I can't remember the details.

I know that for those who are allergic to it, it is some very nasty stuff. My reactions to it seem to vary from one year to another. For example, this year I was pulling some weeds and next thing I knew, I had a handful of poison ivy. Fortunately, this must be a year when my resistance to the stuff is up because I didn't get affected. However during other years I have.

In our area, it is so widespread that it would be financially impossible to eradicate, or even have much of an impact.

I don't think that our area has any poison oak but then I might not really be able to identify it if I saw it.

[wdswtr]

I have a pretty good handle on it here at home but Im allergic to it and it sure does make it tough to work in the woods.  Especially when cutting firewood.  Good thing I have a creek that runs through my land. Just about every 20 minutes when Im near the stuff I walk over to the creek and give my arms and face a washdown.  Im truly confused over which is poison oak and which is poison ivy myself.  I was told by some biologist a few years back that the ivy only grows on the ground and the oak goes up the trees.  Many have pointed out to me thats wrong so Im dont know. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Poison Ivy is a native species...right? I wonder why the increase? I know it does better in shaded areas...could the increase be tied to decrease in large tract logging operations?

[cboy18]

probably global warming!

[Localqdm]

Yeah, it can be pretty disheartening trying to hang a stand and the whole woods is carpeted and every tree is climbing with the stuff.  I've gotten it pretty bad, once almost swelled my eye shut.  Its everywhere.

[G-Man]

Cant say i've seen it at all on my property. though i have seen and delt with it in clarence,ny

didnt know it was increasing...

[Fletch]

I have quite a bit of it on my property and some other places I hunt. I am also very allergic to it so I get it a couple times a year. I have had it on every part of my body at some point or another. Not fun stuff.

[Doc]

By the way, don't think that you can't get it in the middle of the winter. While clearing brush, I have gotten a few blisters from it. It's not just the leaves that can get you, but the sap of a broken or cut vine can do it too.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Im not allergic to it at all. Comes in handy, since I can hunt alot of places other people cant. I was coming down a tree on state land in my climber last year that had a ton of poison ivy growing up it and a guy passing by (rabbit hunter) saw me and asked if I knew I was in a tree loaded with it and I told him yes. He thought I was nuts lol.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

Well I can tell you two things....

your immunity can change at any time., for the better or worse.

If you are ver allergic to it ....do NOT burn it under any circumstances

[Daveboone]

Most of my life I happily bragged of being immune to poison ivy,  then about 10 years ago (I am 50 now) I drastically learned that I was no longer immune! Even if you think you are, dont act like it. It can (and according to my doc)and probably will change to being allergic. And it isnt really an allergy, it is a reaction to the toxins in it. Regular water does not wash it off if exposed. Poison Ivy also climbs on trees, as my border trees attest to. Round up works pretty good on it. Never weed wack it- it sprays the juice into the air and will cover you more than if you picked it up. I dont think it is any more prevalent, just alot more fallow land and overgrown areas than there were a few decades ago.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Oh I test it every now and then. Rub a few leaves on my arm just to see what happens. If that does nothing within a day or so, I take the sap and put a small drop on me. It has never (knock on wood) caused any type of rash or skin irritation. Maybe someday Ill be allergic, but for now, Ill just walk right through piles of the stuff on my way to my stand that nobody else will go to. 

[wdswtr]

Buck be careful it will get you sooner or later.  I heard this same story many times and then a guy who was "immune" ends up in the hospital covered from head to toe. 

Daveboon I would like to say your right that it isnt more prevailant but IM afraid it is.  MY 100 acres here at home have seen a drastic increase in the last 4 years.  I have herbicided the heck out of it the past 2 years and seem to be getting it better under control.  MY woods is managed for timber and Maple syrup production, so its not the case of the land just growing wild.  All the years of driving up and down 81 these past few I see it on just about every tree now.  MY buddies land is all farm land and they harvest timber off it as well about 45 minutes south of me and you would not believe how bad it has gotten there.  I wont even go near his woods anymore.