Poison Ivy Tutorial

Fact Answer 1. Yes, you can get poison ivy in the winter.

Can you get poison ivy in the winter?

Absolutely. The leaves are not the only part of poison ivy that has the urioshol resin. All parts of the plant can give you poison ivy, even the dead leaves. The vines are still readily identifiable in the winter, and are not a good thing to make rope out of. Remain aware of your surroundings.

George, George... George of the Jungle...
Happy as he could be...
George, George... George of the Jungle...
Look out for that VINE!

Troop 32 Brownies write (and I agree with them): After reading your website, our troop came up with two reasons why people rarely react to PI in the winter: 1) So much of their bodies are protected by clothes (especially gloves, although it was warm enough the day we were scouting for firewood that Dad was not -- we guessed that Dad's face rash was passed by wiping his sweaty brow with resiny hands rather than actually having stuck his head into it somehow :^) Another good reason to always wear gloves when collecting deadfall -- most people naturally will not wipe their face with a gloved hand. And the #2 reason people rarely get PI rash in winter? We are convinced it's simply because most folks stay indoors and watch TV or play Game Boy or whatever. We didn't see another soul out there, and it was a beautiful day. We are with you -- the outdoors is for being in! - Thank you, Troop 32!

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