I can't determine if number 3 is poison ivy, but it is definitely not poison oak or sumac. Would need an up close picture of the leaves. Number 2 is too small for me to tell, as well. I am suspicious of number 1 being poison ivy or oak, though.* None of the plants are poison sumac. That is a definite. Here is how you can tell if you have poison ivy: 1. There will be 3 leaflets on one leaf stem, continuing up the branch in sets of 3. This means that the branch will never have single leaves growing from it. (Poison sumac is different) These leaflets will NEVER occur directly across from each other, they will always be alternate. 2. The middle leaflet almost always has a longer stem than the other 2. It never has a shorter stem. 3. The leaflet's side veins (not the main vein that goes from stem to leaf tip) are alternating in pattern, never across from each other. * This is the reason I am suspicious of number 1 possibly being poison oak or ivy. 4. The base of the leaf stem will be thickened, like a celery stalk. 5. Poison ivy flowers are tiny, white or pale cream, hang in clusters. They may or may not be fragrant. They will alternate on flower stem. 6. If flowers were present, fruit may show. It will be smaller than a pea, light green when young, white when ripe, resembling a tiny peeled orange. There will be black stripes between segments on the fruit. 7. If poison ivy is injured by bugs or damaged in any way, it will exude a resin. When this resin dries, it will make pitch black spots or lines on the plant. This is an excellent way to determine if you have poison ivy or oak. Using a shovel, crush part of the stem. By the next day, you should be able to see the black resin, if it is poison ivy or oak. 8. Poison ivy does not twine around trees. It's growth is pretty much straight up. 9. Eastern Poison Ivy vines, when established (think older plant), resemble old, frayed ropes, due to their aerial roots. Western Poison Oak will not have obvious aerial roots. Stems will be strong and flexible, not wimpy. New bark is reddish brown, older bark will be a weathered gray. New leaf growth is usually red, but not always. Fall color may be vibrant or dull. You will NEVER see the following: 1. Flowers growing from the end of a stem 2. Single, large flowers 3. Flowers any color other than cream or white 4. Upright flowers 5. Fruit larger than a pea 6. Red, blue, or purple fruit 7. Leaf stalks directly across from each other on the stem 8. Sharp spines 9. A vine twining like a barber pole Here is a link that might be useful: Poison Ivy This post was edited by AuroraWA on Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 0:44

Thanks guys for the information. oldtimer I'm not quitting with the composting, it just won't be a pretty compost pile like some of the photos I see in this site. If I decide to house a small goat, I have a larger dog kennel that I intend to keep it when it is not outside "working" eradicating the poison oak, poison ivy and, yes, we have poison sumac too, the goat will have to stay in the dog kennel. I will be outside to make sure the goat is safe for we have seen coyatoes walk through the yard. The goat will be borrowed just for the purpose of a safe way to get rid of the poison mess. Kimmsr, I went to fire ant control site and realized that we need to fight the ants in the fall, probably all year in North Ga area. The fire ants were here when we brought the property, which surprised me for it was a vacant hill top property, but the previous owners had a tomato garden up here. I suppose the ants could have been brought in to the area in tomato plants? Anyway, thanks guys, and I will be careful when fighting the poisons out there. I have to suit up to work in the yard, complete with long sleeves, long pants with my socks over the top of the pant legs. Plus, of course gloves. Reason: Ants love me, they seem to track me down, plus I'm sensitive to poison sumac and hubby is very sensitive to the other two. The socks pulled over the top of the pant legs is to ensure no ants crawl into my clothing. We have mean fire ants in GA.

Those are all poison ivy. And big healthy established vines by the look of those blooms! What a job! If it were me, i'd don heavy duty protective gear in 2-3 layers(preferably an outer layer you can toss afterwards), and start cutting away as much as i could while it's dormant and fairly easy to work around. That won't kill it- but when it reprouts at the ground where you cut it off you can hit that with roundup and not damage other stuff. If someone in your family is more resistant to the oils, let them tackle the job. When you're cutting big vines especially, do it slowly so it doesn't splash/squirt sap around. Probably a good idea to wipe down your pruners as they get wet, too. Not sure how 'juicy' it'll be this time of year- i know at other times, the big vines are pretty sappy. It's going to be awfully hard to spray it thoroughly and not get anything else if you don't trim some of it down. You're taking some of the plant's system and weakening it some by trimming. Plus, it takes more spray if you leave it as it is than if you trim. Best of luck! As others have said- be very careful, and wash with technu really well afterwards. If you do end up with a rash, zanafel works pretty well at reducing the time you have it (it's expensive, though). There are a couple of prescription creams that will help tremendously in drying it up as well, and they aren't commonly known. The steroids and shots do work, but i don't like dealing with either one. The dormant vines can still give you a whopper of a rash, and the sap is the worst. If it were me, and this rental had it before you moved in, i'd ask the landlord if they'd knock off a little rent or pay for the weed killers for you. It's a nasty job, and you should get some compensation.

I think it would require killing the Algerian Ivy to do that--and that may end up being the solution. The bed is about 50 ft by 10 ft and to paint the poison ivy with Round Up would be about like trying to paint every third blade of grass in a lawn. Several years ago I had read on a forum that you could use weed-and-feed formula on an ivy bed in late winter before the ivy had emerged but once I decided to try to get rid of the ivy in this bed I couldn't find the posting any more.