# Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac leaves



## jedross86

Not sure if this is the appropriate place to post this.

There are some trees behind my property line that are covered in poison ivy and sumac. Probably some poison Oak in there too. The plants have scaled these trees (which are 60+ ft tall) and I am bound to get some (probably a lot) of the leaves in my back yard.

1 - when these leaves die and fall to the ground, will they still be poisonous to my skin?
2 - any concerns for my lawn?


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## Factor

Its the oil in the leaf. That causes irritation. So depends on how dead is dead..

Don't ever burn them even dry. You can breath in the the smoke/oil not a fun experience.

If you want to kill the vines take an axe chop the vine in two. Paint the lower part toward the ground with Triclopyr https://www.domyown.com/alligare-triclopyr-p-20562.html?sub_id=22954
Or you can paint several feet of the stem without cutting it.

Don't paint the tree with it just the vine..

Wear PPE gloves and mask and glasses.


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## rotolow

Should you happen to get some of the oil on your skin, clothes, or tools: use a detergent with degreasing properties immediately. I mean literally keep a bucket of water with dawn dish soap nearby for your skin.

When you're done for the day, take the clothes, boots, tools, etc and soak them with a degreasing detergent. Do not wash the clothes with other clothes.

I cleared 2 acres of heavy brush with a fair amount of the stuff a few years ago and swore to never do it again.


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## ALPHA

I would cut in to the vines and use Tordon RTU. It's been doing the lords work on grape seed vines in my trees. Garlon will certainly work too! They can be removed (carefully with plenty of PPE) after full kill is achieved. Disposable is tough. Probably best to bag it if possible and put out for garbage, some recycling center will take it. As stated previously don't burn it. Wash any equipment you use like crazy to remove urushoil.


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## Deadlawn

Keep in mind that once the plant is dead, all of it is still toxic - leaves, stems, roots, etc. - because the oil that causes an irritation is still there.

Wear long pants, long sleeves and rubber gloves while handling it.

And @Factor already said it, but it bears saying again. NEVER, EVER, EVER burn any part of the plants - alive or dead. The toxins are in the smoke when you burn the plant and will get into your lungs, eyes, etc. This is the absolute worst way to get poison ivy.


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## MasterMech

Fast Orange/Gojo is a good one to stock up on before tackling poison anything. The oil is sticky like grease and should be mitigated the same way. When working outside daily, I used to take a shower with the stuff if there was any chance I was exposed to Poison Ivy/Oak/Sumac. I do not react well to to it.


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