Not everyone is allergic to poison ivy, but I
certainly am. I have a lot of sympathy for the
recent callers to the Wellesley Pesticide
Awareness Campaign who wanted to know how to get
rid of their poison ivy safely.
The most urgent call came from Schofield
Elementary School parents who found extensive
stands of poison ivy growing along the back
walking path to school. Many children walk this
path every day, and too few of these children know
how to identify and avoid this noxious vine.
Recently enacted state legislation, the
Children and Families Protection Act, severely
restricts the use of pesticides on school property
and grounds, which is a good thing, but it leaves
many pest management personnel shaking their heads
when it comes to eradicating poison ivy safely and
effectively. However, there are some effective
non-toxic techniques which I will describe in this
article.
Poison ivy, Rhus toxicodendron, is a
native plant that is less than welcome in the
suburban yard or garden. While its fruits provide
valuable food for birds, the oils secreted by its
leaves, stems and roots are toxic to humans. It
thrives in both sunny and shady situations, in
rich woodlands and in barren waste places. Poison
ivy has the irritating habit of insinuating itself
amidst other plants, perhaps as a survival
mechanism. Often it will climb the nearest
vertical structure, including trees and telephone
poles.
Learn to recognize its " leaves of three " and
" let them be " when walking in the woods. Another
useful adage for fall outings is, " Berries white,
poisonous sight. " The leaves are alternate on the
stem and are divided into three leaflets. The stem
of the middle leaflet is elongated. The leaf
surface may be either glossy or dull green, and
either smooth or somewhat hairy. Leaf color may
vary due to the degree of shade (and weather
conditions) from light to deep green, yellow-green
or even red. Autumn color is yellow and bright red
before the leaves drop. A white berry-like fruit
remains through winter. At all seasons of the
year, it causes skin irritation in humans.
Common practice to deal with poison ivy is to
use a glyphosate-based chemical pesticide to kill
the leaves and plant. The Northwest Coalition for
Alternatives to Pesticides’ (http://www.pesticide.org/)
Journal of Pesticide Reform has this to say about
the toxicity of glyphosate: "
Glyphosate-containing products are acutely toxic
to animals, including humans. Symptoms include eye
and skin irritation, headache, nausea, numbness,
elevated blood pressure, and heart palpitations.
The surfactant used in a common glyphosate product
(Roundup) is more acutely toxic than glyphosate
itself; the combination of the two is yet more
toxic… In studies of people (mostly farmers)
exposed to glyphosate herbicides, exposure is
associated with an increased risk of miscarriages,
premature birth, and the cancer non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma… Glyphosate has been called " extremely
persistent " by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, and half lives of over 100 days have been
measured in field tests in Iowa and New York.
Glyphosate has been found in streams following
agricultural, urban, and forestry applications. "
Oddly enough, these same chemicals are
described by their manufacturers as pesticides
with " low toxicity and environmental friendliness
" and are one of the most commonly used pesticides
in the U.S., including on food crops. Many
landscapers will tell you that they are perfectly
safe and break down to harmless chemicals.
I spent quite some time researching the
question, " Is it safe to use Roundup? " and I
found so many conflicting studies that I feel that
I’d need to go back to school and get a Ph.D. in
chemistry to find the real answer. I really don’t
have time for that, and neither do any of you. In
light of such conflicting scientific evidence, I
am completely confident in the following answer:
Don’t use a pesticide when there is a safer,
alternative method. In this case, because there
are non-toxic alternatives for eradicating poison
ivy, the Wellesley Pesticide Awareness Campaign
strongly advises against the use of
pesticides.
The best way to deal with poison ivy is to pull
it out by hand. Actually, by gloved hand. Identify
someone you know who doesn’t develop serious
rashes when exposed to poison ivy. According to
the American Academy of Dermatology, about 85
percent of all people will have an allergic
reaction to poison ivy, which leaves you with 15
percent who won’t. Have them put on a Tyvek suit
(the white, impermeable, painter’s suit you can
buy at a hardware store in the paint department),
long rubber gloves, and tie plastic bags around
their shoes. Pull out the poison ivy, making sure
to get the roots down to about six inches, and put
it all in a plastic garbage bag. Tie the top and
dispose of everything in the trash. Shower
immediately with a special soap designed for
poison ivy, such as Farmer’s Friend Poison Ivy
Soap. For complete eradication, visit the area in
two weeks and check for resprouting from any roots
which were missed. This is what we did to solve
the problem at Schofield School. It took only
about 45 minutes to remove all the offending
vines, and our volunteer remains itch-free.
Other suggestions for eliminating poison ivy
come from our partner organizations: Priscilla
Williams and Mike Nadeau of the Northeast Organic
Farming Association, and an organic soil recipe
book distributed by Boston Tree Preservation of
Woburn.
Poison ivy will eventually die out if it is
repeatedly clipped to the ground by mowing. On
suburban properties, after clipping it yourself,
place a smothering mulch of cardboard topped with
wood chips, bark mulch or shredded leaves over the
area. This can be a very effective way to
eradicate large patches. Vines growing up fences
or trees can be cut at ground level. Several days
later, pull out as much of the wilted plants as
possible. Or wait until winter when they can be
pulled out without damaging delicate branches and
will contain fewer oils. Under no circumstances
should you burn the poison ivy or pour boiling
water on it, as the poisonous oils will
volatize.
Try a chemical-resistant glove with an
absorbent glove slipped over it. Dip this glove in
Burn Out or Sythe (lemon juice and vinegar
solution) and wipe on the foliage. Repeat until
dead. These commercial products, although organic,
do come with serious handling warnings because
they are quite caustic. Consider trying one of
these somewhat less hazardous home recipes
first:
Mix three parts vinegar with one part
dishwashing soap in a pump spray bottle. Spray a
narrow stream and douse the plants leaves and
crown. Don’t get carried away with this treatment,
repeated applications will acidify the soil so
that nothing will grow in it. If this happens, you
can apply calcitic lime to neutralize the
vinegar.
Mix 1 oz gin, 1 oz apple cider vinegar, 1
tablespoon baby shampoo, 1 quart water, and pour
into a pump spray bottle. Spray on a hot sunny
day, wetting all leaves and dousing the plant.
Repeat if weed is not dead the following day.
Mix 1 quart water with 2 tablespoons rubbing
alcohol. Put in a pump spray bottle and spray
leaves thoroughly but lightly.
If you find poison ivy on school grounds in
places where children frequent, you may call the
Department of Public Works, which will work with
us to remove it in a non-toxic manner.
For more information on alternatives to
pesticides, please visit our Web site, www.ci.wellesley.ma.us/nrc/pesticide,
or call the Natural Resources Commission at (781)
431-1019 x294. We have a brochure about pesticide
hazards and their alternatives, and a booklet on
organic lawn care available at no charge.
Burnout and other organic controls are
available at the Needham Garden Center, 53-R
Chestnut Street, Needham. Wellesley residents who
mention this article will receive 10 percent off
the purchase of this and other organic gardening
supplies.
Sarah Little is pesticide awareness coordinator
for the Wellesley Health Dept.
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