Left to grow at it's own pace, Poison Oak will turn into thick vines that climb more than 50 feet up large trees and eventually kill them, by depriving them of sunlight. I've personally seen vines that are 4 inches thick, and 9 inches in circumference. Left to grow that large, these vines present a hazard to anyone in the vicinity, as high winds can blow leaves and blossoms up to 50 yards away. Simply being touched by these leaves can result in an outbreak. The plant itself is extremely resilient, and simply cutting it will not necessarily kill it. Large vines on a property I bought , even after being completely severed, managed to grow back together as if nothing had ever happened. At that point I began to remove a six inch section of these large vines completely, by making two cuts, and removing the center section. That did indeed kill the plant from the cut upwards. In order to kill the vine from the cut down, I drilled a 1/2 inch hole in the bottom part of the vine, about an inch deep, and filled it with a plant poison (Roundup). Killing the plant however does not kill the hazard. If practical, let Mother Nature dispose of the dead plant and vines, even if it takes years for them to rot away. If you need to get rid of the plants and vines faster than that, I would recommend collecting them with heavy clothing and gloves on. Use only hand clippers and hand saws. A chain saw will throw the plants poisonous oils into the air, and possibly cause an outbreak. Do NOT let the dead plant touch your bare skin. I once got a reaction from a vine that I killed an entire year before. Once collected, dump them responsibly in woodland or a landfill. Under no circumstances should you try to burn Poison Ivy or Poison Oak vines, even when they are dead, because inhalation of smoke from the burning of these plants can cause a severe reaction inside your lungs, which would guarantee you some hospital time, at the very least. True or not, I can't say, but I have heard of a death caused by the inhalation of poison oak smoke.
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