Michelle,
You and I BOTH! I just bought a house in Northern Ohio and the entire back property line is the Poison Ivy Victory Garden. Cats will bring it in, as will dogs. I'm not sure what to tell you about keeping them out of it, as they are immune. The oil can be viable for weeks.
I am also interested in hearing about removal strategies! HELP!
As far as what I know, here are some general rules:
COVER YOURSELF when you go to work in the area. Gloves, long sleeves, long pants, boots. Use heavy materials like denim, especially if it's hot out as this is when your pores are open and more susceptible to the oil. After coming inside, do not touch anything and take your clothes off and put them directly into the washer.
Wash yourself immediately. I have been reading that cold water is best, and rubbing alcohol is also effective for the initial treatment (do not use it before you come into contact). Then shower as you regularly would. There is also a lotion you can apply before exposure that supposedly helps protect your skin from infection.
As for removal, I've been spraying obsessively with Ortho Brush-B-Gon Poison Ivy treatment. It does seem to be killing the plants, but dead vines are also toxic and need to be removed. The plants I sprayed 2 weeks ago are dead. Hand removal is unfortunately the most effective method.
I would imagine that there is probably a "Mother Lode" supplier of the poison ivy in your yard and that is why there is so much. It is a hairy vine that can be quite thick and climbs up anything. I would suggest finding a professional to remove as much as possible because it's nothing to fool around with.
Good luck and let me know what you find out. |
