In This Corner: Beware! Poison ivy awaits you
wvgazette.com
March 13, 2009
As temperatures rise and spring approaches, be wary of poison ivy, the bane of gardeners, hikers and others who spend time in the outdoors.
As temperatures rise and spring approaches, be wary of poison ivy, the bane of gardeners, hikers and others who spend time in the outdoors.
More than half of us are allergic to urushiol oil, the substance in poison ivy, oak and sumac that causes the itchy rash and blisters.
You have to directly contact the oil to get the rash - but the oil can be spread through the air by burning, or by lawnmowers and grass trimmers.
The "leaves of three, let them be" bromide is partly true: poison ivy and oak clusters have three leaves, but poison sumac can have seven to thirteen leaves on a branch.
And finally, if you've forgotten how former Gazette reporter Bob Schwarz dealt with the problem, you can go to youtube.com and search "bob schwarz poison ivy." We don't recommend this method, but Bob swore by it.
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