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I love the outdoors...always have!
But there are a few things out there that can turn any outdoor outing into a long-term misery
and at the top of my list is poison ivy.
There’s an oil in poison ivy that causes that itchy rash
and you can get it from any part of the plant at any time of year.
The easiest way to avoid getting the rash is to avoid coming in contact with the plant.
And that starts with knowing what it looks like.
Remember leaves of three, let it be?
Its good advice.
There are lots of poison ivy mimics
so if you’re not sure, its best to avoid them all.
But there is a way to tell poison ivy from similar plants.
Check out the center leaf of the three.
If its on a longer stem, separate from the other two, its poison ivy.
If you have the chance to wash with soap and water within five minutes of contact with poison ivy
you’ll avoid developing the rash.
But if you’ve been in or around poison ivy,
don’t just hang your field gear or gardening clothes in the garage until next time.
The oil from poison ivy can remain active for up to a year
and you could end up with a delayed reaction,
the next time you put on those clothes!
So get them into the wash right away.
Spraying poison ivy with herbicide is the best and safest way to get rid of it.
If its climbing a tree, cut the vine six inches above the ground
and treat the stump with herbicide.
Don’t burn poison ivy, because the smoke can also cause a severe rash.
And finally, poison ivy actually provides food for wildlife.
So if its somewhere it can't cause problems
like deep in the woods, consider leaving it alone.