Poison Ivy (or Sumac or Oak)

I'm in that lucky minority who are largely or completely immune to PI.

I had heard somewhere that one's immunity to uroshial can degrade over time(?). In recent years, I have sustained a few very small PI outbreaks, usually a tiny spot on my hands or legs. As a result, I try nowadays to avoid contact with PI.

Bamboozle's suggestion to carry soap based wipes while fishing is probably an excellent idea.
 
On a side note: has anyone ever encountered Poison Sumac while fishing in PA?

I don't believe I ever have.

My understanding is that it isn't common or present in much of SCPA, but is more common in NEPA. Perhaps it's around, but I am not confident that I could positively identify PS.
 
I get into contact with PI fairly frequently in the field. I wade through oceans of it, so my waders are certainly covered with the oil. Additionally, a hand or arm contacts the plants on occasion. I usually have to wait 3-4 hours or a little more before having the chance to wash the contact spots on my arms or hands. I just use an oil cutting dish washing detergent, which has kept me from getting a rash for years, although I have occasionally had a few bumps just to remind me that I am still allergic.
 
Another plant to be aware of is wild parsnip.

This is a very common plant in PA. I see it very often in Centre and Clinton Counties.

https://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/1999/jun99/parsnip.htm

It is often at the edges of farm fields and growing in fallow fields and old fields.

If you are pulling weeds, be aware of it, and protect your skin.


 
Mike wrote:
I get into contact with PI fairly frequently in the field. I wade through oceans of it, so my waders are certainly covered with the oil. Additionally, a hand or arm contacts the plants on occasion. I usually have to wait 3-4 hours or a little more before having the chance to wash the contact spots on my arms or hands. I just use an oil cutting dish washing detergent, which has kept me from getting a rash for years, although I have occasionally had a few bumps just to remind me that I am still allergic.
Click to expand...

Wait...

You are a stream biologist in waders and when you brush against PI, you have to wait 3-4 hrs before you can wash the contact spot?

What am I missing here? Or better yet, what are you missing?

I'm not very sensitive to it, but even still... When I know I have gotten into it, I start looking for water. It doesn't have to be coming out of a tap, at least not for me.

 
troutbert wrote:
Another plant to be aware of is wild parsnip.

This is a very common plant in PA. I see it very often in Centre and Clinton Counties.

https://dnr.wi.gov/wnrmag/html/stories/1999/jun99/parsnip.htm

It is often at the edges of farm fields and growing in fallow fields and old fields.

If you are pulling weeds, be aware of it, and protect your skin.
Click to expand...

Thanks Troutbert. I was not aware of this one.

I was aware of Giant Hogweed. We have it in NE Ohio and both are invasive. I've seen what I think is Giant Hogweed a couple of times, but not on my farm.

I do have wild turnip, and you had me worried for a little bit. But apparently it is harmless other than it is hard to get rid of. It's also edible, but I aint messing with it.




 
The other day I had to walk through Poison Ivy as I removed two bags of trash from PennyPack Creek. (Mostly plastics and aluminum cans.) I knew my chances were great at getting it all over my legs so I washed my legs with sand at the creek and continued to fish. When I got home I washed again with LAVA soap. So as of today, I have a couple of spots on my elbow and a few spots on my right arm. Nothing to brag about.....When I do get it I use an allergy medication to help control the itch and an antiperspirant to dry it out. Works great for me.

 
PPF, Water is good, but I am thinking using an abrasive is not a good idea. Although the water would dilute the oil, I'm thinking that abrasive actually help the oil penetrate the skin.

 
Could be on that one FD. Anyways we use to put sand down under our cars to absorb the oil drippings.

The good news is - no sign of the nasty blistering, that comes with the three leaf bandit, on my legs and I was knee deep in it.



 
There are a lot of lucky people out there who get exposed (or think they do) and use or do something that is probably not the best solution and keep at it because it works for them.

Sort of like a fisheries biologist who is willing to carry around notebooks, nets and fish shockers...

...but not soap. ;-)

In any case, water helps but the urushiol oil is very sticky and NOT water soluble so if you don't get a bad outbreak waiting or using just water with or without some dirt or sand; I'd chalk your success up to not as much exposure as you thought, not being as allergic as you thought, or just dumb luck.

I only wish I could be so lucky...

Once again, no 100% guarantee but some of this, or this in a pocket, pouch or pack will save you a lot of scratching and to be honest, if you have to drop off some timber you will be glad you have it!!
 
Bamboozle wrote:
There are a lot of lucky people out there who get exposed (or think they do) and use or do something that is probably not the best solution and keep at it because it works for them.

Sort of like a fisheries biologist who is willing to carry around notebooks, nets and fish shockers...

...but not soap. ;-)

In any case, water helps but the urushiol oil is very sticky and NOT water soluble so if you don't get a bad outbreak waiting or using just water with or without some dirt or sand; I'd chalk your success up to not as much exposure as you thought, not being as allergic as you thought, or just dumb luck.

I only wish I could be so lucky...

Once again, no 100% guarantee but some of this, or this in a pocket, pouch or pack will save you a lot of scratching and to be honest, if you have to drop off some timber you will be glad you have it!!
Click to expand...

Well, I stand corrected. Thanks Bamboozle. I "learned" many years ago that urushiol is water soluble. So I looked it up, and it isn't. At least not very.

Apparently I am just lucky, not very sensitive to it, or very thick skinned.;-)

There is a lot of false info out there, and I apologize for spreading some of it.

Maybe I will start carrying one of those small complimentary shampoo bottles from motels when I cut firewood. Who doesn't have a few of those around. ;-)

 
What's weird about poison ivy is people react so differently to exposure. That may explain why there is all of the conflicting info out there on it.

BTW - One HUGE word of warning regarding cutting firewood:

BEWARE of the hairy poison ivy vines that sometimes are attached to trees you may be bucking.

If you cut through them, the sawdust from a chainsaw or other saw will give you a NASTY case of poison ivy!! I ended up at the Dr.'s office for being lazy about it and I know better.

Now when I am doing my bucking I use a machete to strip the vines off FIRST before cutting with a chain saw.

Afterwards I wash off machete...

...seriously!!
 
I've had Doctors tell me that it does not spread to other parts of the body. I will argue with them from my experience. If you are sweating up a storm it will spread.

 
Only exposure to the oil causes the rash, not scratching, not the fluid in the blisters, not contact with the rash. You can bank on it.

So…

If it appears that the rash is spreading it is most likely caused by additional exposure to the oil from unwashed garments or gear, or a delayed reaction due to exposure on a less sensitive area.

In other words, it all doesn’t appear at once.
 
The other day I had to walk through Poison Ivy as I removed two bags of trash from PennyPack Creek. (Mostly plastics and aluminum cans.) I knew my chances were great at getting it all over my legs so I washed my legs with sand at the creek and continued to fish. When I got home I washed again with LAVA soap. So as of today, I have a couple of spots on my elbow and a few spots on my right arm. Nothing to brag about.....When I do get it I use an allergy medication to help control the itch and an antiperspirant to dry it out. Works great for me
Click to expand...
THANK YOU for that. I carry a trash bag tightly folded up in my vest and - on those occasions when I just return back to the truck w/o fishing back - I clean up along the way.
 
Bamboozle wrote:

If you cut through them, the sawdust from a chainsaw or other saw will give you a NASTY case of poison ivy!! I ended up at the Dr.'s office for being lazy about it and I know better.

Now when I am doing my bucking I use a machete to strip the vines off FIRST before cutting with a chain saw.

Afterwards I wash off machete...

...seriously!!
Click to expand...

Good advice. I usually do the same. I sometimes use loppers instead because then I can grab the vine and pull it off the tree/log without having to touch it directly. I keep these tools separate from the rest so the wife doesn't accidentally get exposed. she is sensitive to PI.

Believe it or not, the wife loves doing yard work. I think her favorite tool around the house is a set of loppers. I probably should be concerned about that. ;-)

If a tree has PI, I usually don't even mess with it until after all the leaves are off. Less sap that way. I have several dead or dying ash trees towards the back of the property with PI on them that I will be taking down this winter. A few of them are covered with it. I'm not looking forward to that.

 
FarmerDave wrote:
Believe it or not, the wife loves doing yard work. I think her favorite tool around the house is a set of loppers. I probably should be concerned about that. ;-)
Click to expand...
I'd only sweat it if your last name is Bobbitt...
 
Bamboozle, I had poison ivy five weeks and it was still spreading before I went to the doctors office for steroids. And it still took a couple additional weeks before I was free of the itch. I doubt I consumed it - the only other thought was someone was burning it - however the spread was all over my stomach and no other locations.
 
PennypackFlyer wrote:
Bamboozle, I had poison ivy five weeks and it was still spreading before I went to the doctors office for steroids. And it still took a couple additional weeks before I was free of the itch. I doubt I consumed it - the only other thought was someone was burning it - however the spread was all over my stomach and no other locations.
Click to expand...


Could be you had some of the oil on your jammies. ;-)
 
Couldn't be FD....I don't wear jammies.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top