As we experience another great summer season, I have been contacted by many area residents that have confirmed Poison Ivy contact on or near their property.  Anyone may have a chance encounter with poison ivy especially if you enjoy gardening, camping, walking or running along a local trail or even while repairing your back yard fence.  Really, the locations where poison ivy can spring up are vast and ever expanding.  Since birds routinely spread poison ivy by seed after eating it’s berries, there really is no fertile soil that is off-limits to new poison ivy growth.  Not to mention that poison ivy contact is very normal for outdoor roaming animals as well.  Even though it appears that dogs and cats are primarily protected by their furry coats, petting a dog that has just run through a patch of poison ivy is a common way for people to come in direct contact with the toxic oil resin (urushiol) that poison ivy emits.  I highly recommend learning how to identify poison ivy so you can take the necessary actions needed when spending quality time in the great outdoors.  Please contact Pacocha Landscaping Services, Inc. to help identify and create a plan to eliminate any troublesome poison ivy that may be growing on your greater Chicago area property.