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Poison Ivy - advice needed

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
The poison ivy has been creeping over to my land, and soon it will be near the house and the kids' play area. I am not over sensative to it, if I pull it and wash up I usually have no rash. On the other hand my wife is extremely allergic to to poison ivy and so it needs to be controlled better than I've managed in the past.

I have tried to deal with this over the past years, usually by isolating a plant. Poison, pull, cutting. Round-up (poison ivy specific) did not seem to control the problem. It did kill the grass and the nearby trees, but no appreciable dent to the poison ivy density.
mad.gif


The worst problem area we are talking about is a strip about fifty yards long and thirty yards wide. It is sparsely wooded, mainly Hawthorn trees. The undergrowth is also prickly and full of wild rose & raspberry with an increasing density of the ivy. I would love to "draw a line in the sand" and eradicate the poison ivy from that area, and keep it from taking hold again.

Does anyone know how I can get my hands on some military surplus Napalm?
eek.gif


* any other (more practical) approaches that I might entertain?
 

bczoom

Super Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
A good solution for poison ivy as well as killing other weeds is a mix, with vinegar as the primary ingredient.

Mix 1 cup salt to one gallon of vinegar and heat to near boiling. The heat will dissolve the salt and cook off some of the water in the vinegar making it a slightly stronger solution. Let it cool. Add about 8-10 drops of liquid dishwashing soap to help the solution stick to the leaves. Put it in a spray bottle and have at it.

If you're lazy or in a hurry like I am at times, just pour vinegar and a little soap in your sprayer. It'll work almost as well as the formula above.

The best stuff I've found for personal protection to avoid getting a rash is a product called TecNu. I get it from Gemplers. You can pre-treat yourself and/or apply shortly after exposure. It'll remove all the ivy oils.
 

Snowcat Operations

Active member
SUPER Site Supporter
Get some goats and pen them up where the poison ivy is. In Pebble Beach where there were just jungles of poison Ivy they used small herds of goats and had them eat there fill. Worked great. No poisons to worry about. I am about as allergic to that as Kristi owners are to work. I hate poison oak with a passion!
 

Snowcat Operations

Active member
SUPER Site Supporter
Check out #4. Even though the real reason was to erradicate the poison oak it had many benifits.

PEBBLE BEACH COMMUNITY SERVICES DISTRICT
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Field Trip, September 26, 2005

MINUTES

The Board of Directors of the Pebble Beach Community Services District assembled at the District Boardroom on September 26, 2005 at 9:00 a.m. and thereafter participated with District staff and visitors in a fire protection and emergency preparedness field trip within the District.

DIRECTORS PRESENT
All Directors were present, including Jeffrey B. Froke, Ph.D., Gary D. Hornbuckle, Ph.D., Board President, Leo M. Laska, Nancy D. McCullough and Richard D. Verbanec, Board Vice President.

STAFF & VISITORS
Richard Andrews, General Manager, PBCSD
Sam Mazza, Fire Chief, PBCSD and San Benito-Monterey Unit, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (“CDF”)
George Haines, Assistant Fire Chief, CDF
Dennis Carreiro, Battalion Chief, Fire Prevention, CDF
Jackie Scoggin, Battalion Chief, Operations, CDF
Michael Niccum, District Engineer, PBCSD
J.T. Rethke, Engineering & Maintenance Assistant, PBCSD
June Duran-Stock, Chair, Del Monte Forest Open Space Advisory Committee (“OSAC”) and Director, Del Monte Property Owners (“DMFPO”)
Shawn Casey, Director of Operations, Pebble Beach Company (“PBCo”)
Eric Love, Forester, PBCo
Gerald Verhasselt, Director, DMFPO
Rick Kernoll, resident
Jennifer Valdez, Apparatus Engineer, CDF
Stephanie Rodriguez, Firefighter, CDF

PURPOSE OF FIELD TRIP
The purpose of the Board of Directors’ field trip was to view the condition of emergency preparedness and vegetation management measures relating to fuel breaks, fire access roads, vacant lots, open space areas and potential tsunami inundation zones within the District.

ITINERY AND ACTIVITIES
1. Huckleberry Hill: On the first part of the field trip, the Board traveled to the Huckleberry Hill visitor overlook on 17-Mile Drive, where Battalion Chief Carreiro and other staff reviewed the condition of the Los Altos Fuel Break on Huckleberry Hill between Haul Road and Los Altos Drive. Chief Carreiro indicated the fuel break is a continuing cooperative project of the Fire Department and the PBCo, with the objective being to create a defensible fire fighting space immediately below the residences along Los Altos Drive, Costanilla Road and other structures at the top of Huckleberry Hill. He said fire crews and the PBCo are working together to extend the depth of this fuel break from its original depth of 150 feet to a depth of 250 feet below the edge of the roadway. District Engineer Niccum also described the water system improvements for fire protection that have been constructed by the District to improve water available for fire protection in the upper Huckleberry Hill area. General Manager Andrews briefly explained that because of the tremendous carpet-like forest regrowth after the 1987 Huckleberry Hill Fire the Board had adopted District Ordinance 19 in 1995 to provide additional discretion to the Fire Chief to identify and declare “potentially dangerous” fire hazards. He said prior to Ordinance 19 a fire hazard could only be identified and ordered to be mitigated if it was an “existing” dangerous condition.

2. Haul Road Reconfiguration: Directors next observed the condition of the PBCo Haul Road Reforestation Project, which was recently completed by the PBCo to meet a condition of approval of the Spanish Bay Project by the California Coastal Commission. Directors observed potentially hazardous areas of combustible forested growth above and below Haul Road. Chief Carreiro explained that should those areas catch fire the recently reconstructed narrower and reforested Haul Road would not provide an adequate fire road or fuel break, which will pose a hazard to controlling fires burning uphill to Los Altos Drive. He said that while the PBCo believed it was required to comply with the Coastal Commission’s original condition PBCo has agreed to cooperate with the District in the future to gain approval for reconstructing Haul Road to create a modified fire road and fuel break that will provide a 24-foot wide roadway that may be used for emergency egress.

3. Huckleberry Hill Fire Road System: The Board proceeded to fire roads 7, 6 and 4, stopping in the vicinity of the proposed new Equestrian Center. Chief Carreiro explained the impacts of the project on the fire road system would be positive, providing improved access and water capacity for fighting fires on Huckleberry Hill. He noted that the entrance to the new equestrian center would follow existing fire road 3.

4. S.F.B. Morse Drive Vegetation Management: The Board observed how vegetative fuel fire hazards were being reduced in the wooded area between SFB Morse Drive and the Pacific Grove boundary by the use of goats. Chief Carreiro noted that the use of special goats that have voracious appetites for many types of vegetation growing in the area appears to be highly acceptable to many environmentally concerned residents.

5. Tsunami Inundation Zones: Directors were then transported to the Spanish Bay public picnic and parking area where Assistant Fire Chief Haines reviewed the status of the District’s emergency planning for response to tsunamis. He indicated that he is serving as the District’s lead person in cooperative efforts with Monterey County Office of Emergency Services to develop tsunami response plans throughout the Monterey County coastal area. In addition, he said the District has formed an internal planning team that is also working with the PBCo. Chief Haines called the Directors attention to a series of comprehensive tsunami preparedness maps that have been prepared by District Finance Officer / Information Technology Coordinator, Suha Kilic and Administrative Assistant, Richard Farfan. He said the maps identify a red-lined 40-foot (10 meter) zone of potential inundation, as well as all of the structures and addresses of property within the inundation zones. It was also noted that the maps have been posted to the District’s website at www.pbcsd.org and final versions of the maps might also include a 100-foot blue contour line to provide a guideline for the public to follow in evacuating to a safe elevation. Chief Haines indicated that the maps have been examined by Monterey County OES staff members, who have said they may provide a useful format for developing similar maps in other coastal jurisdictions. Directors then viewed potential inundation zones as the field tour proceeded south along 17 Mile Drive to Cypress Point.

6. Examples of Vacant Lots, Open Space and Residential Fire Hazard Clearance Parcels: Directors observed and gained information about the condition of vacant lots in the Del Monte Forest and the methods used to achieve compliance with the District’s fire protection clearance requirements. In particular, Directors viewed an exemplary example of fire hazard clearance at a residence located on the corner of Sombria and Drake Roads. Nearby examples of vacant parcels of more than one acre were also viewed where in one case compliance was achieved by perimeter clearance and in another case the parcel had been completely cleared and trees limbed up. A parcel was also viewed at 4026 Sunset Lane, where the fire department had made a discretionary decision to allow an alternative method of compliance negotiated between the property owner and the fire department.

7. Carmel Hill Fire Station / Ford Meadow: Directors toured the CDF Carmel Hill Fire Station on 17-Mile Drive, below the Highway One Entrance Gate. Operations Battalion Chief Scoggin reviewed the history of this facility and the arrangements whereby CDF meets its wildland fire protection responsibilities within State responsibility areas and also provides contractual fire protection services from this fire station for PBCSD and the Cypress Fire Protection District. She noted that the facility was constructed in 1995 under a unique public-private cooperative financing plan that involved the PBCo, Monterey Peninsula Community Hospital Foundation, CDF, Cypress Fire Protection District and PBCSD. Chief Carreiro also provided a visual orientation of the new fire protection access easement located in Carmel Woods above Ford Meadow, which was recently acquired from Monterey County. He said the easement is the only access available to the Ford Meadow area from the Carmel Woods area above it. Mr. Andrews further clarified that a memorandum of understanding between the Del Monte Forest Foundation and PBCSD regarding the use of the easement would be presented to the Board for approval in the near future.

8. Pescadero Canyon: The Board was next transported to the northwest portion of the Pescadero Canyon area, where directors viewed the condition of forest and fire roads 21, 22 and 23. Directors observed the recently completed extension of fire road 23 and its entrance/exit and gate to and from 17-Mile Drive across from the CDF Carmel Hill Fire Station.

9. Midwood Drive Access to Fire Road 20: Concluding the tour, Directors observed the existing access gate to fire road 20 on Midwood Drive. It was noted that a project may be proposed by District staff, which would involve the District improving the entrance to this fire road in a manner similar to the project that was recently completed on fire road 23 across from the Carmel Hill Fire Station. The proposed improvements would include a wider more perpendicular approach to the entrance gate, with a minimum gate setback distance of 30 feet from the edge of Midwood Drive.

The PBCSD Board Field Trip concluded at 12:45 p.m., followed by an informal lunch for directors, staff and guests at the Poppy Hills Restaurant in the Del Monte Forest. Directors Laska and Verbanec were in attendance. Directors Froke, Hornbuckle and McCullough were not able to attend due to other commitments. No actions were considered or taken by the Board during the Field Trip or during the informal lunch.

Richard Andrews
District Secretary
 

Trakternut

Active member
If you must work where this stuff grows, first, lather a bar of soap and smear it on any skin that may be exposed to the leaves. It's the oil on them that causes the rash. The soap repels the oils, and when you come in, just wash the soap off and no problems. Any clothing, such as the legs of your jeans, that have been exposed should be washed immediately so as to prevent any unsuspecting person to touch them and get this oil on their skin.

We had oodles of this stuff up in "The Gulches" and neither my dad nor I ever had problems with it. My mom, on the other hand, had to protect herself. Mom's oldest brother was worse yet! Just smelling the stuff in the air broke him out.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I did pick up some sort of "wash" for poison Ivy & poison Oak. Gave it to my wife so she can use it. It says it effectively washes the 'oils' away.

I have only minor problems with it, and then only when I don't pay attention. I saw some of it today growing in our fenced in yard right off the patio. I just walked over and pulled it out by the roots, showed it to my wife so she would know what to stay away from, and then tossed it into the trash. Walked inside, washed my hands, didn't think any more of it.

But I sure would like to find something that would reliably kill it (without killing the trees and bushes it grows up/into).
 

Snowcat Operations

Active member
SUPER Site Supporter
get about 50 goats. Fence them in your neighbors yard. That should get his attention! Tell him to keep his poison Ivy under control and you will do the same with the goats. :)
 

DAP

New member
I did pick up some sort of "wash" for poison Ivy & poison Oak. Gave it to my wife so she can use it. It says it effectively washes the 'oils' away.

I have only minor problems with it, and then only when I don't pay attention. I saw some of it today growing in our fenced in yard right off the patio. I just walked over and pulled it out by the roots, showed it to my wife so she would know what to stay away from, and then tossed it into the trash. Walked inside, washed my hands, didn't think any more of it.

But I sure would like to find something that would reliably kill it (without killing the trees and bushes it grows up/into).

Bob .. here is some information you might or might not find helpful.

1. Goats, while they do eat poison ivy (amongst a great many other things), they will not necessarily eat YOUR poison ivy. Goats, contrary to popular believe ( I keep goats) will eat WHAT, WHEN and WHERE they want to (this as I alluded to includes poison ivy). This often has little or nothing to do with YOUR what, when and where. Also, they merely eat the leaves and a few tender stalks, and do not readily kill the plant. Further, if the goats are cute, and you or the lovely Mrs. Skurka gives them a kiss, you will enjoy some dandy lip scratching sessions for the next few weeks. Not a viable option IMO.

2. As children, my sister was always covered in PI and I could have it for lunch with nary a blemish. Suddenly one day about 40 years later, I have a roaring case of it on my complete torso. Your body changes and sooner or later, ALL will become susceptible. Beware.

3. Lastly, I had a neighbor once who went on an intense eradication effort. This bozo - she made huge piles of the plants she had torn out of her acreage. She then burnt the pile, carelessly hung around to see the crap burn, ingested the smoke, and now has a completly incurable systemic case of PI. She no longer needs to come into contact with the uriol oil to have a break out of lesions. They just occur at random.

Bottom line, this stuff is NASTY, don't underestimate it, It will kill trees if left to its own devices and will ruin your day for a few weeks. The best remedy is a cortesoine shot in the ER. All the commercial products (and I've tried them all) include homemade products (wife makes Jewelweed soap, a supposed antedote for PI according to native americals), Fels Naptha, etc, but none get it done. Just about any soap will remove some of the oil if you tend to it IMMEDIATELY, but that rarely seems to happen.

Good luck my friend.
:thumb:
 

XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq

Master of Distraction
Staff member
SUPER Site Supporter
Bob .. here is some information you might or might not find helpful.

1. Goats, while they do eat poison ivy (amongst a great many other things), they will not necessarily eat YOUR poison ivy. Goats, contrary to popular believe ( I keep goats) will eat WHAT, WHEN and WHERE they want to (this as I alluded to includes poison ivy). This often has little or nothing to do with YOUR what, when and where. Also, they merely eat the leaves and a few tender stalks, and do not readily kill the plant. Further, if the goats are cute, and you or the lovely Mrs. Skurka gives them a kiss, you will enjoy some dandy lip scratching sessions for the next few weeks. Not a viable option IMO.

2. As children, my sister was always covered in PI and I could have it for lunch with nary a blemish. Suddenly one day about 40 years later, I have a roaring case of it on my complete torso. Your body changes and sooner or later, ALL will become susceptible. Beware.

3. Lastly, I had a neighbor once who went on an intense eradication effort. This bozo - she made huge piles of the plants she had torn out of her acreage. She then burnt the pile, carelessly hung around to see the crap burn, ingested the smoke, and now has a completly incurable systemic case of PI. She no longer needs to come into contact with the uriol oil to have a break out of lesions. They just occur at random.

Bottom line, this stuff is NASTY, don't underestimate it, It will kill trees if left to its own devices and will ruin your day for a few weeks. The best remedy is a cortesoine shot in the ER. All the commercial products (and I've tried them all) include homemade products (wife makes Jewelweed soap, a supposed antedote for PI according to native americals), Fels Naptha, etc, but none get it done. Just about any soap will remove some of the oil if you tend to it IMMEDIATELY, but that rarely seems to happen.

Good luck my friend.
:thumb:

Regardless of the Poison Ivy, you probably shouldn't be kissing goats! :4_11_9:
 

LarryRB

Member
we do like Bzoom does and mix vinegar and salt, Although I use more salt than him, I also heat the stuff and pour it on hot, I don't let it cool. We have areas that are a bumper crop of poison ivy,,, so far, the vinegar and salt works best of anything.
 

rugerman

New member
To keep from killing non target plants instead of spraying use a mop, brush or roller to apply the herbicide and if you do spray use a course spray and don't spray on windy days. Adding a little soap to the spray helps it stick bettter to the leaves. If you manually remove it DO NOT BURN IT if you do the oils will travel in the smoke and you will get it in your nose, lungs and all over your body (not a pretty sight). And make sure that anyone that is allergic doesn't come in contact with the tools or clothes that you wore when you pulled it out (at least not until washed with soap or wiped down with mineral spirits-which by the way is the main ingredient in tecnu). If you have a pet that goes outside they can get the oil on their fur and bring it back to you also. rugerman
 
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