Leaves of Three, Let It Be? Getting rid of potentially infectious Poison Ivy in your yard.

Quick Facts

• Poison ivy contains urushiol oil, which causes what is believed to be the most common allergen in the U.S.
• It only takes 1 billionth of a gram of urushiol oil to cause a rash – 500 people could itch from the amount that would fit on the head of a pin.
• Urushiol can stay active on any surface for up to five years – including on dead plants, yard tools and garden gloves.
• Dogs and cats can carry the allergen on their fur and transfer it to us.
• Some studies suggest in the coming years, poison ivy plants will become bigger and more poisonous – causing itchier rashes.
• Poison ivy is in the same family as the cashew and is related to mangos.

Problem/Diagnosis

Poison ivy can be found growing just about everywhere in the U.S. and southern Canada, except in the far west and deserts, and at high altitudes. More than half the population is allergic to urushiol oil - the sticky, resin-like substance found inside the plant that causes the rash, blisters and itch that make poison ivy so well known. Poison ivy can grow as a vine twining on tree trunks or straggling over the ground, or as a shrub or bush. The leaves have three pointed leaflets, with the middle one much longer than the other two. They vary in size, and are generally reddish in the spring, green during the summer, and orange or red in the fall. Small, greenish flowers can grow near the base of the leaves, and poisonous berry-like clusters also form later in the season. Poison ivy can be difficult to identify because there are so many different variations. If you think you might have poison ivy but aren’t sure, don’t touch it. Remember the old adage, “Leaves of three, let it be.” (PHOTOS OF POISON IVY)

Poison ivy is very delicate, and its leaves are easily bruised and the stems easily broken. This is bad news if you’re trying to kill it, because whenever the plant is injured, it releases urushiol. Poison ivy plants are rarely undamaged, so almost all the poison ivy you come into contact with will have urushiol seeping out of it.

Never burn poison ivy – the oil can spread through the smoke, getting into the noses, throats or lungs of anyone nearby or downwind. Breathing the smoke can kill you.

Solution

How can you take control of poison ivy before it takes over your yard? Keep your lawn and fence line clear and trimmed, and cut back the undesirable plants to ground level every time you see green growth. Bayer Advanced™ Brush Killer Plus Concentrate and Bayer Advanced™ Brush Killer Plus Ready-To-Use are easy-to-use alternatives that kill the brush down to the roots so they won’t come back. It controls poison ivy and 70 other types of weeds and brush roots and all and it starts working in just one day.
Brush Killer Plus is available in both a concentrate and a ready-to-use, no-mix formula with nested sprayer for easy application and neat storage. Always wear protective clothing when working near poison ivy.

Always read and follow label instructions.

Products Mentioned In This Article

Brush Killer Plus Concentrate

Brush Killer Plus Ready-To-Use