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The Basics of Poison Ivy This DIY Basic, brought to you by Visine, will provide tips on avoiding poison ivy.

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Figure A Figure B Figure C  WINDOWS MEDIA VIDEO Watch the Video

• Don’t let your time outdoors become an itchy experience.
  
• Follow the rule: "Leaves of three, let them be" (figure A) If you spot poison ivy, don’t touch it.
  
• The plant’s toxin, called urushiol, is in the leaves, vines and roots.
  
• Urushiol remains active for several years, even on dormant or dead plants.
  
• It spreads easily and can be carried on clothing, shoes, tools, even pets (figure B).
  
• React quickly if you come in contact with the plant’s oil. Wipe clothes, shoes and garden tools with alcohol and water (figure C).
  
• Then cleanse skin with a special poison ivy removal scrub.
  
• Soap can actually spread the toxin, so rinse thoroughly with water before using soap.
  
• If a rash develops, use a treatment spray to decrease redness and itching.
  
• With some care, your outdoor experience can be itch-free.
  

• 80 percent of people are sensitive to poison ivy.
  
• Areas where skin is thick, like the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands are less sensitive.
  
• Most animals aren’t sensitive to urushiol, but can spread the toxin.
  
• Poison ivy grows across North America. You see it most often around lakes and streams in the East and Midwest.
  
• The plant can be woody, a ropelike vine, a trailing shrub or a free-standing shrub. It usually has three leaflets (leaves all on the same stem coming off a larger main stem); however it may have groups of three to nine. The leaves are reddish in the spring, turn green during the summer, and become various shades of yellow, orange or red in the autumn. It has yellow or green flowers and white berries.
  
• Poison ivy can grow as a shrub, ground cover or vine. Older vines send out branches that may be mistaken for tree limbs.
  
• You can even be affected by the toxin by breathing smoke from burning poison ivy.
  
• Contact a County Extension Agent for advice on how to handle poison ivy in your particular situation.
  
• Some of poison ivy’s good points are: Wild birds and animals eat it without problems. It holds the ground well against erosion. Native Americans used it for medical purposes.
  

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