I'm an allergic person, Cathy, with asthma also. I've had those scratch tests on the back, and I'm allergic to a lot of things. I've never, however, had any trouble handling rue or pipevine leaves - the only plant in my garden that makes me itchy is my tomato plants, and I try to handle them as little as possible.
I don't really think it's the pipevine leaves, but you might see an allergy doctor before you give up host plants.
Those of us on the Butterfly Forum would really hate to see you give it all up if you don't have to!
Sherry

Thanks, Sherry, I'd hate to give it up too; it is lots of fun. I'm raising a bunch of Pipevine Swallowtails right now even though I'm still not caught up with the garden and probably won't be all year, but I'm just going to try not to worry about that. They're my favorite cat to raise and I'd hate not to raise them. They're just so comical to watch.

I didn't even think to mention that I have asthma, so that makes two of us. It's funny that we're both allergic to tomato plants too. I get a bad rash from that and also the itching that practically drives me nuts (even more so than usual :). I found out from trimming some Colorado Blue Spruce trees here that I'm allergic to them; if I had known that, I wouldn't have bought them as seedlings years ago. I don't know if I was always allergic to the things that I am now or if they developed later on. I was tested by an allergist one time but that was about 10 yr. ago. At that time I remember her saying that I'm allergic to various kinds of weeds and trees. I'm allergic to grass of all things! Feathers and dust mites are two on the list too. She gave me a paper to bring home with me, but it got lost and I don't know the others that were on the list, but I'm sure I wasn't tested for pipevine and rue. ;-) I don't actually know how a doctor determines what to test for because there are so many things out there that a person could be allergic to but I'm sure aren't included in an allergy test. Can you imagine the dr. would probably have to use a person's entire body to test all of them! I'm just wondering now if a person could ask an allergist to test for specific things like the ones that you're most likely to come into contact with, if only for a season. Oh, and a really strange allergy that I found out just the other year that I have is gypsy moth caterpillars! I sat down on a chair outside and didn't know that there were some tiny ones on it. My arms got these big welts on them just from those little things...another reason not to like them! I just hope that I'm not allergic to these cat host plants, but I just can't think of what else I'm handling at this time that would make me itch. Yes, I'd hate to give up feeding the cats.
Cathy

I get a rash from Rue. I don't have a problem handling pipevine. I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer around at all times to clean my hands with after handling different plants. Also, if I'm out where there is poison ivy, I will use the sanitizer on any exposed surfaces.

Sandy

Sandy, I hope my rash is from the rue too if either one. For the BST, I could always feed them the parsley, dill, or fennel, I suppose. I just prefer giving them the fennel to save the parsley for us, and the dill and rue aren't very substantial. The rue seems to stay fresh longer and there's just more to it. If I ever have Giant Swallowtails show up, I had decided to leave them outside on the rue anyway because a lot of them die as tiny cats when I try to raise them inside, so I doubt if I'll raise them anymore. Maybe I can get some wafer ash trees to a decent size someday and feed them that. I don't know how well that holds up in water though.

I might just try carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer around like you do and maybe it will prevent me from getting the rashes. I always intend to come in and wash my hands right after handling things but so many other things get my attention and I don't come inside for another hour or two.
Cathy