People with an itch to spend some time in the sun in Cote-St-Luc beware: poison ivy has been reported in two of the city’s parks.

The plant, which produces an oil that can cause irritating and painful rashes, has been found in Nathan Shuster Park and Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park.

Cote-St-Luc Mayor Mitchell Brownstein said the issue is a recurring one in forested areas such as those found within the parks. He said the city uses herbicides once a month in an effort to combat the plants and bright signs mark off dangerous areas.

“It’s in every forested area,” he said. “Many other cities don’t do what we do which is treat it all the time and put up signage. If you go into the forested areas, there’s always that risk.”

Rocco Isgro, a gardening expert at Pepiniere Pierrefonds, said eradicating the plants can be difficult unless they’re new.

“There’s basically two ways to get rid of the plant,” he said. “If it’s a plant of the same year, you should work the oil and pull it out by the stems. The best time for that would be early spring or late fall. Always wear protective clothing and when you’re finished, wash them in warm soapy water and let them dry for 48 hours.”

For established plants, Isgro said commercial herbicides can be effective if used repeatedly.

“There’s poison ivy spray, which is extremely effective in the first year,” he said. “If the plant is established then you might need two or three applications.”

Brownstein said short of cutting down all the trees in the forested areas, there’s no way to get rid of the poison ivy in the parks completely.

“We’ve done all these studies and there’s no way to eradicate it in that manner,” he said. “The only treatment is constant treatment with chemical agents and keep on doing it every month.”

For those who are unfortunate enough to come in contact with the plant, Isgro offered some advice.

“If you get in contact with poison ivy, they say the best thing to do is wash with cold, soapy water. If you use warm water, it opens the pores and lets the oils in deeper.”