Let It Be

[F, Calla & Luca]

It's time for the pests to start showing up. I thought some of us might need a refresher in Poison Ivy. Gee,  I just went through 2 song tiles in 3 sentences. I do not let it be, however. I try to pull the poison ivy when it's small. I take a newspaper plastic bag to cover my arm, carefully pull the ivy and then carefully invert the bag and put it in the trash. If you think the plant has touched you at all, a followup wash with soap and water should take care of the problem. Your doodle could get the plant's oil on it's fur and you in turn could get the rash from petting the dog.
This ivy was not growing here, merely posing for pictures. The young growth is reddish. any part of the plants , or even inhaled fumes from burning it can give you the rash. Remember "leaves of three, let it be", There are many innocent plants in this category, however.

Anyone with pictures of some other pest like poison oak? We don't have that in the east.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Oh my, I do it the hard way but I take this job very seriously.

* I take a flat-nosed shovel and cut 12x12 squares or larger. I make it like sod so I can place it back into the ground.

* After turning over the square I remove the roots and place the square back into the ground. It works.

There was a boyscout/girlscout rhyme to remember the leaves with a touch of red. I will ask my husband when he calls today and let you know.

[F, Calla & Luca]

why do it the hard way when you can do it the easy way? : )

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Well I didn't have you then :)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Ahhhh. Stick with me kid, my motto is "How can I make life easier for myself?"

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

If the oils should come in contact with the Doodle's skin, can they then get a rash? Or any dog that has really smooth tight fur, i.e., my grandpup Luna the Rhodesian Ridgeback? I am visiting them right now in San Jose and looking over at her asleep on the floor. I sure do miss my Gracie Doodle :(

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't think the dogs get a rash.

[shelly]

OH NO, Ladies!!! Do NOT pull it out! Too much of a chance of oils splashing or fumes getting up your nose. My husband buys a spray to kill it. I forget what it's called. When my husband comes home - I will get back to you... CAREFUL!!! ... To quote one of my favorite people... "I'll be baaaack!"

[shelly]

Okay... the name of the product is BRUSH Be Gone - NOT WEED Be Gone It's old at Home Depot. Very reasonably priced and so safe you can even drink it - but I wouldn't recommend that! - LOL ~ this is actually an enzyme that you spray when the plant has bloomed - on it's leaves and LEAVE it (no pun intended - oh sorry it's been a looooong week) . the leaves actually pass the enzyme down into the roots of the plant. You are NOT supposed to pull it out for a while (directions are on the bottle) until the enzyme actually passes into the roots. This actually will KILL the entire plant! DH has actually used it all around our property - as he is HIGHLY allergic to it.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I really try not to spray anything, any more. The dogs nibble on grass and who knows what, and I have come to realize we really do have only one earth. But I'm also old enough to know if it sound too good to be true it probably isn't. I know Weed Be Gone is bad stuff, and apparently so is this. http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/tri-lami.html
You may not like my suggestion but perhaps somebody else should pull the PI if your husband is so allergic. or use a homemade solution like bleach.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Here is a Home Remedy. I can't and I don't use chemicals :( carpet cleaners all the way to insecticides so I am always looking for home remedies.

Here are a few I found on a search:

Mix 3 pounds salt with 1 Gallon soapy water; spray the solution on the plant's leaves and stems.

Note: Buy a liquid soap and not a detergent. Health food stores have liquid soaps, such as Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Soaps.

Soap Spray

4 tablespoons liquid soap
1 quart water

Combine ingredients in a bucket, mix, then transfer to a spray bottle as needed.

Note that this recipe will kill neighboring vegetation also, so focus the spray on the poison ivy.

Here is another alternative solution to herbicides: Goats! For some reason, Spanish and Angora goat breeds absolutely love poison ivy. Make sure you get those particular breeds; most others don’t like poison ivy for their main meal. I would love to have goats, but my family won’t let me… !

I wonder if Doodles could pass for goats?
Another--same thing different page but they also added vinegar.

Here is the homemade poison ivy vegetation killer spray that I’ve found is safe and effective if you are reading this when the leaves are no longer shiny:

Poison Ivy Vegetation Killer
1 cup salt
8 drops liquid detergent
1 gallon vinegar

Combine the salt and vinegar in a pan and heat to dissolve the salt. Cool the vinegar, add the detergent, and pour some of the liquid into a large spray bottle. Spray the vegetation. (You can also just pour the mixture onto the weeds.) Refill the spray bottle as necessary. Note that this formula will kill all the vegetation, so make sure that you are only spraying the plants you want to kill. If you need to use a lot of this spray, avoid spraying it near wells, as the salt can leach into your water supply.
retrieved:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-nip-poison-ivy-in-the-bud.h...

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

This also works GREAT for Japanese Beetles.

In my garden I place a glass of water and Dawn Dish Soap and drop the beetles in the solution. They never return and do not multiple either.

Much better than the pheromone bags you can purchase.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I just drop them into a long necked bottle of water. They never return or multiply, either. But last season, it barely made a dent. There were so many, and they were everywhere, including up very high in the trees. How can something so beautiful be so destructive?