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When you cut poison oak it sprays. Like 3 feet in the air, and the spray can give you the rash. Are you sure you can't just leave it? When I come in contact with it I shower as soon as possible using fells naptha soap. You get the rash from an allergic reaction to the oil from PO being on your skin, so anything you can use to get the oil off the better.

i have poison ivy spawling in an ivy bed that the previous owners didn't maintain.. and like SFGail mentions above, the thing to be careful about is that the oils get everywhere. definitely do not burn or weekwhack away, because you may end up spraying and spreading oils in the air.

i suggest goats, if you can find someone near you who rents them. the oils aren't poisonous to them and they can weekwhack naturally like nobody's business. otherwise - at least for poison ivy - you have to rip out by the roots (in full long-sleeve head to toe gear) and maintain for about 3 seasons' for it to go away.

or so i've read online, which is why i let the poison ivy in my backyard be as long as it stays in the ivy bed.

Keep in mind that ALL parts of the plant contain the oils, not just the leaves.

I once hid in a poison oak bush as a kid during a game of hide-and-seek. Being a hippie child I was mostly naked, I believe. I got scratched all over by the branches, the oil got into the scratches, I had a severe allergic reaction and ended up in the emergency room!

If there's any kids who might come into contact with it, I'd definitely try to take it out.

no advice, except BE CAREFUL. I just had a huge poison oak rash all up my arm and my hip area from touching a table at work. someone at work had touched a deer and then touched the table before me. (I work at the humane society/deer frequently have poison oak oils on their fur) it was NOT cute. my arm was oozing fluids and everything. excruciating. I still have scars. >_<

I use tecnu after hiking to wash off the oils which usually heads off the worst of oils.

Wear long, thick rubber gloves (like those big yellow elbow length ones for doing dishes) and pull those suckers up. Also, I would get a good hoe if I were you. One with a pointy tip is nice. You can really hoe weeds out efficiently and, more importantly, you can do it from a safe distance. If there are no plants you want to save in the area, you could try covering it with heavy black plastic for a season after you weed out what you can. Otherwise, you might try applying vinegar to seedlings that come up in the next couple years.

Good luck!

to quote Homer Simpson:
"Leaves of three, let it be. Leaves of four, eat some more."

I'm rather susceptible to poison ivy, and it's quite common where I live. I used to get it every friggin' autumn on my lower legs until I realized that my fall boots had the oil on them.

One thing I learned - if you think you've been exposed, put your clothes directly in the wash and then shower thoroughly with cool soapy water. The soap will get rid of the oils. Why cold water? Hot water opens your pores, which can trap the oil.

I have had great success with this approach. What would have previously been a full blown itch/ooze fest now is reduced to just a blister or two.

Leave them be, literally. As long as it is in an area where you don't frequent, they aren't hurting anyone.

They are native plants and have great fall color. Two great reasons to keep them if space allows.

As much as I hate chemicals/pesticides, I used weed be gone on a vine of poison ivy that had been wrapped abound my tree. The next time I went out to cut the grass, the poison ivy was a dried vine that clung loosley to the tree. I took my rake and pulled it off. If it comes back this year, I'll do it again.

I'm not allergic to oak and ivy, but when I used to do archaeological field work, my whole crew had to deal with it quite a bit.

Vinegar will kill it (and anything else growing around it) if used undiluted in a spray and poured onto roots. Let it die back and then pull it up--roots and all. Pour more vinegar on the bare ground.

Don't burn it or weed wack it! Hand cutting and pulling (hopefully, by a non-allergic or less-allergic friend) will make vinegar more effective.

I'm usually organic, but for those allergic, using TechNu after exposure works very well. I also recommend applying a thin layer of the solution on your skin before going to deal with the plant. Afterward, shower with the TechNu as per instructions. If necessary, use an organic clay mask to spot-treat places where additional oil needs drawn out.

Of course, wear protective clothing.

I am EXTREMELY reactive to poison oak (as in any incidental contact and I'm in the E.R.!) and can feel your pain...

Hire a hauling or yard service to take it out.

Otherwise the oil will get on your clothes and that oil can end up on your skin, no matter how careful you are!

Any time you think you may have come in contact with it, run to the shower and in COOL water lather yourself all over with Dawn dish soap. It will cut the oil. If you're as sensitive as me, toss your clothes and then get in the shower!