What time of year is poison ivy out in Wisconsin and other tips

That brush with that shrub or vine might seem innocent as you're planting or hiking in the woods on a nice summer day in Wisconsin.

But be aware. It could be a brush with poison ivy. And when you come into contact with that three-leafed plant you'll likely be feeling the effects of it for some time.

Here's what you should know about poison ivy, including how to identify it, how to treat it and best way to kill the plant.

Poison ivy is a poisonous vine or shrub and is native to eastern North America. These plants contain the oil urushiol and when it touches your skin it can lead to severe inflammation. Urushiol is in living poison ivy plants but also stays active in dead plants for up to two years.

Yes. Poison ivy is very common in Wisconsin. It grows in pastures, roadside ditches, fence rows, wooded forests, beaches and parks, according to the Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension at UW-Madison.

Yes.

You can come in contact with poison ivy all year long but you'll probably most notice it during the spring and summer months when the leaves are most noticeable and begin to grow.

But even in the winter months you can be exposed since every part of the plant has it, including the roots.

And during the late summer, you'll notice clusters of whitish berries on poison ivy leaves since its seed are spread by birds through droppings.

Poison ivy plants can be mixed up with other plants.

So, here's how you can identify them.

Poison ivy has alternate leaves, and each leaf has three leaflets, Wisconsin's Horticulture site says. You'll be able to identify poison ivy because the middle leaflet has a short stalk and is larger than the two other leaflets. Leaflets vary in shape but are typically oval with pointed tips.

You don't have to be exposed to a lot to notice.

When exposed to 50 micrograms of urushiol, which is an amount that is less than one grain of table salt, 80% to 90% of adults will develop a rash, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include redness, itching, swelling, blisters and difficulty breathing if you inhaled smoke from burning poison ivy.

It all depends on the person and how much of the oily resin was touched or released onto clothing or other objects that you contact. Either way, the Mayo Clinic says you'll want to wash your skin right away after contact. Washing it off could lower your chances of getting a rash. You'll also want to rinse often and scrub under your nails with a brush, the CDC adds.

You might not notice a reaction right away after your encounter with poison ivy.

The reaction typically develops 12 to 48 hours after exposure and can lasts two to three weeks, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The severity also depends on the amount of urushiol that gets on your skin, the Mayo Clinic notes.

In most cases, you can do it from home.

Lotions and cool baths can help in mild cases, though medication for a severe rash may be warranted.

An antihistamine like Benadryl can also provide relief for itching, the CDC indicates. Call 911 or go to a hospital emergency room if you have a severe allergic reaction like swelling or difficulty breathing and have had a severe reaction to poisonous plants in the past, the CDC warns.

No.

Poison ivy can't be spread from person to person, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

However, a person can contract poison ivy later on if the plant oil stuck to clothing, pets and objects that came in contact with urushiol and you touch that. The plant oil will stay on any surface until it's washed off with water or rubbing alcohol, the FDA says.

Yes, rubbing alcohol also removes the oil from your skin. In addition, poison plant washes, degreasing soap like dishwashing soap or detergent, and plenty of water is recommended by the CDC.

When you're working in a garden or out camping and you could encounter poison ivy, you may want to wear long sleeves, long pants, boots and gloves. Barrier skin creams could provide protection prior to contact as well. Also, wash exposed clothes separately in hot water with detergent.

If you see poison ivy growing in your yard, you can remove it by using herbicides that contain the active ingredients glyphosate and triclopyr, according to Wisconsin's Horticulture site.

You can also use foliar sprays to stop treat shrub-form poison ivy plants or vining poison ivy growing on inert object, but only apply treatments after leaves are fully expanded and plants are actively growing, Wisconsin's Horticulture site says. It adds you don't want to apply foliar sprays to poison ivy growing on trees and shrubs since this could damage supporting plants.

Wisconsin's Horticulture also notes that that you should not burn or compost leftover poison ivy berries, leaves, stems and roots since these can spread. You'll want to bag and dispose of them. After removing the plants and debris, spread clean wood chip mulch over the site to prevent possible exposures to urushiol that could still be in the soil.