Two summers ago I was cleaning up around a palm tree base and acquired a pretty good skin irritation. I could not determine, at the time, what may have caused it. I wrote it off to an unlucky and unnoticed brush with poison ivy. I may have noticed the Ficus but since it was not Poison Ivy, I dismissed it.

This year, however, with the very light winter this same palm has become over taken with the vine.

I have read at several different websites that this plant can destroy the palm by overtaking it. I have also read, sketchy at best, that this vine can cause skin irritation.

I want to remove the lot and try and kill the vine, but this leads to the following questions:

Has anyone else acquired a skin irritation when handling this plant? If so, what would be my best plan of attack when removing it?

I would like any and all opinions on the following article in regards to the removal process.

http://www.wildflower.org/expert/show.php?id=6175

Thanks for the time.