Jeff,

I was just reminded of this thread as it looks as though I may have gotten a little touch of poison ivy on my arm yesterday.

How did you make out?

I am fine now, thanks for asking. Sorry to hear about you new case with the devil. Was it you that said you get it every year? the guy next door is from Virginia. He tells me that he used to get it every year running around the woods as a kid. You guys must have this stuff over the east cost?

It no longer itches. I am scared up pretty bad. It should go away some over the years. I got a huge dose of steroids and the swelling went away. I did end up in the hospital. I had no idea my body would react to the steroids. I could not stand up I was so dizzy. I had to hold on to something when I take a step. If not, I would hit the deck.

Jeff

Wow...quite an adventure...

"leaves of three...let it be" BSA handbook

Fortunately, I over reacted to a nice grouping of mosquito bites on my arm.

My neighbor has a bush fence on his side of the property line that is never taken care of and is full of poison ivy. I take care of it the best I can but eventually I brush up against the new poison ivy growth when mowing the lawn, etc. That stuff grows fast over here.

Round up

Nope. Round up is great for "soft" vegetation...grasses & common weeds. brushy stuff calls for something stronger...ask for CROSSBOW, and add a commercial surfactant to the mix. I often blend Crossbow & Round-up when going for a total kill around here...

My qualification? Quit paying the fee, but my Oregon Pesticicides Consultant's license was # 137...

Where can I find this crossbow product? Does the local big box hardware store carry it? What will it do to my neighbor's bushes and my juniper trees that it is under?
Round up just makes the poison ivy wilt a little, but it survives. I usually wear long sleeves, pants, gloves, hat, etc. and pull it out by hand, followed by a thorough wash wih ivy dry and a shower. This results in the loss of a few pounds of sweat but prevents me from getting any of it on my skin. I usually do this about once a month or so. Good times...

I buy Crossbow at a local farm supply store....be sure to add a surfactant to the spray mix. For spot spraying, I go a pretty heavy mix...2 tablespoons Crossbow, 2Tablespoons Roundup, plus surfactant...per gallon of water. Crossbow is available in quarts...IIRC, $32.95 here...Since I keep after the brushy stuff, a QT lasts me quite a while. Roundup I buy the 41% strength in 2.5 gallon jugs...around $150 IIRC...I use lots of roundup. For broadleaf weeds in the lawn, look for "weedmaster"...I usually buy a gallon of it...

(edit) Crossbow & roundup both kill by "translocation"...meaning by sticking to the leaf surface of the target plants. IF you can avoid drift onto neighbor's bushes & juniper, they should be fine...just be sure of your target & watch the wind.

Thanks. :)

Wow, you guys really have a mess on your hands. Your property must be huge.

Not at all, maybe by Philly standards though. I live close to a small river and the soil and trees make a perfect climate for ivy like this and neither of my neighbors take care of their yards. :(

yep sounds like poison oak...used to ride in chino hills and would brush up against it a little on a ride would get a few blisters at the area of contact...you need to get a hot bath right after and clean what you were wearing by itself so it doesnt spread. also since you were having issues at night you should have washed the sheets that first night of itching.
the oils from the plant are the culprett.

freind of mine would have a terrible reaction...he had to carry benadril with him all the time in the summer when the plants were green. he also was deathly alergic to bee-stings. i am just the oposite...i used to have real issue with bee-stings, now they are little more than a misquito bite.

we all react differently...probably why your wife was better off than you.

when my mother was a kid she made a wilderness salad of poison ivy and got it all over the inside of her mouth....now thats a childhood story