I have a grazing experiment with permanent transects for sampling changes in frequency and density of plant species over time in response to grazing treatments and cages for sampling production and utilization using the paired plot method.
Over the last couple of year poison ivy has moved into this area and I have apparently lost what resistance I had to it's effects. So, I'm wondering if rubber gloves might protect me enough to be able to deal with clipping 0.25 meter/sq. plots with this in? Or does anyone have any other ideas? I hate to try and do anything to eradicate the poison ivy, it is a part of the plant community and we want to see what the effects of the grazing treatments are on the plant community, but it is becoming quite literally a pain to work with.
We've used Tyvek body suits before for heavy poison oak areas, along with rubber glove. They are very cheap (5$), full cover, and they are waterproof so that the oils/saps don't seep through. Here is a link:
http://www.pksafety.com/dupont-hazmat-tyvek-protective-suit-ty122s-1414.html
If your not worried about getting it elsewhere on your body I think the rubber gloves should be fine.
Of course I would say you cannot in good conscious remove the plant from a monitoring site as it is a part of the ecosystem.
There are a number of pre- and post wash options that are quite helpful at preventing reactions to PI. TECNU is the brand we use. You can also use it to wash clothing and equipment.
I would have thought that the invasion of the poison ivy into the sampling areas would form part of the results of your observations. Any man-made interference here, for example in the form of weeding, would invalidate the purpose of the experiment?
Rubber gloves will do the trick, as long as you're careful not to touch the outsides of those gloves after you take them off. You can put them back on again after each day in the field to wash their outside surfaces with a strong detergent, with the same motions you would use to wash your hands. One caution -- either wear very long rubber gloves that go all the way up to your upper arms or add some additional protection for your elbows. A long-sleeve shirt works well, as long as you don't touch its outside surface until after it's washed. Almost all of my poison-ivy cases contracted while doing research have been on my elbows and the backs of my upper arms. I can keep track of the locations of poison-ivy plants in the vicinity of my hands, but it's very hard, when my attention is strongly focused on my work, to notice what plants are immediately behind my arms. In your peripheral vision, all leaves are pretty much the same shade of green!
Thank you all for your answers. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to get back, but I want to wait and see if I had the courage to take your advice and to report back on my results. After suffering through the blisters and itching of my last experience for 3 weeks I wasn't sure I ever wanted to get near poison ivy again. But I used some clear plastic gloves that went up to my arm pits, held up in place with paper clips with some wrist length rubber gloves over them, so they were tight enough to work in. And I'm happy to report, 4 days later, that I came away from the experience unscathed. I have had no reaction to poison ivy from this last exposure. So thank you all for your advice and encouragement.
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