You can develop the allergy to poison ivy at any time and each time you contact it the stats rise that you will react. I would protect myself!!! Why take the chance? If you do react and it's a bad one you could end up hospitalized and with a young child you need to be able to function!!
Joann

Battalina, sounds like a nice area you've created once the poison ivy is removed.

I do not get poison ivy and have never had a reaction to poison anything else myself. As a teenager have a terrible story about unintentionally burning some in a bonfire and getting some folks seriously sick.

Still though if I know I'm pulling some I take precautions. Usually that means wearing gloves and washing them. No space suit. Jeans might not be a bad idea. I even wash up before playing with my kid.

As far as eliminating it.... I dunno. Round-up is my friend but once again I spray on days when my kid will not be rolling around in the stuff.

If new poison ivy plants are sprouting from seed there are pre-emergent chemicals. I have less experience with them than Round-up but don't think they are any more environmentally friendly.

Hello Battalina - A couple of thoughts regarding your posting...

You mentioned that :

"Some of them had dried up bluberry looking black fruit on them."

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) does NOT have dried up looking blueberry type fruits , although Parthenocissus quinquefolia (commonly known as Virginia creeper and Parthenocissus tricuspida aka Boston Ivy)do.

There are some people who have an allergic type reaction from Parthenoccissus species although in my case , although I am extremely allergic to Toxicodendron species , I handle Partheocissus species frequently with no bad reaction at all.

The plants I mentioned are frequently encountered growing together.

The offending plants are best removed during the Winter (when urushiol levels will be lowest) by an individual who is not allergic by pulling / digging the roots out of the ground.

The oil in the Poison Ivy is what some people are allergic to and the stems during the winter don't have as much sap in them as they do during the summer.

The oil (aka catechol) is released most easily from bruised leaves or any other part which will place tiny droplets of the oil into the air (where it may land on the skin, clothes or be breathed into the respiratory system.

People who are extremely allergic to Toxicodendron species can get the allergic dermatitis simply from being near the plants as a certain amount of the oil is evaporating into the atmosphere , most especially on hot summer days.

People who are extremely allergic to Toxicodendron can pick up the oil from the fur of pets that have brushed up against the leaves , from clothing or anything (!) that has the oil on it and can transfer it to the allergic person.

People who are extremely allergic to Toxicodendron catechol can get it from other people while the exudate from the encrusted ares is still yellow and it can definitely be spread to other people or other parts of your body from the oil being transferred from any contaminated object e.g., q-tips, washcloths, bedsheets, etc.

The Poison Ivy Catechol is the aromatic portion of some of our neurotransmitters and the formula in brief is catechol + an amine = catecholamine (!)...The human catecholamines are serotonin, dopamine, epinephine, norepinephrine, metanephrine and normetanephrine.

The catechol oil in different species of Toxicodendron and plants with related catechols consists of a mixture of different oils, so that is why some people are allergic to Poison Ivy but not Poison Sumac because the ratio of the different oil fractionations is different.

Poison Ivy dermatitis may one day act as an indicator of certain types of auto-immune disorders.

I am fully aware that some of what I stated is listed as untrue by some dermatological sources although what I have stated regarding extremely allergic people is based upon my own hyper-allergic experience and research regarding my own condition.

I have found that most practicing dermatologists will not know about the specific info I have shared, although a few doing specialized / focused research into urushiol related toxicity / allergicity might...

I have added a link to a similar post on plants in the Sumac Family including Toxicodendron and edibles like cashews , pistachios and mangos.

I hope my offerings may prove to be helpful...

Here is a link that might be useful: Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) identification dermatitis rash prevention and remedial cures info

Thank you ron_convolvulaceae for all the info! Very helpful indeed. I am sorry you are hyper-sensitive to the plant! I will make sure I cover myself from head to toe and will disregard the gloves and wash the clothes in hot water.
I am now worried about unknowingly giving it to my son though. Maybe I'll shop around for someone to come over and do it for us after all.

P.S. - Correction to the following :

"The Poison Ivy Catechol is the aromatic portion of some of our neurotransmitters and the formula in brief is catechol + an amine = catecholamine (!)...The human catecholamines are serotonin, dopamine, epinephine, norepinephrine, metanephrine and normetanephrine."

Serotonin should not be listed as a catecholamine , although I meant to add L-Dopa to the list of catecholamines of usual human metabolism.