Japanese Barberry & Lyme Disease Go Hand In Hand

Friday, May 30, 2014

After learning that there's a powerful link between Japanese barberry and Lyme disease, my husband and I have become "barberrians". You're apt to find one or the other of us out in the woods, gloved, hatted, booted, pants tucked into socks (such a sexy look...), pitchfork in hand, dripping sweat as we battle it out with one or more of the massive thorn bushes that are rapidly taking over our woods.

I've just written a new post all about this thorny problem over at Care2.com. Read it and weep (which you may if you have this stuff growing around your home).


As I write this, my hands are covered with tiny, painful splinters -- the razor sharp ends of barberry thorns that poked through my gloves and then broke off in my skin. I plan to purchase a pair of thick, leather gloves and keep on pulling it out by the roots. Barberry, be gone!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Will a barberry splinter dissolve? I can not get it out.

Anonymous said...

I too have two thornes that poked me and are under my skin and I cannot yet get them out. Did you have any issues with the fact that they are poisonous? Thank you very much

Eve Fox said...

I would not worry. I've had many of them lodged in my fingers. It's uncomfortable but they're not poisonous and I've always found that they eventually work their way out if I am unable to dig them out.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Japanese Barberry & Lyme Disease Go Hand In Hand

After learning that there's a powerful link between Japanese barberry and Lyme disease, my husband and I have become "barberrians". You're apt to find one or the other of us out in the woods, gloved, hatted, booted, pants tucked into socks (such a sexy look...), pitchfork in hand, dripping sweat as we battle it out with one or more of the massive thorn bushes that are rapidly taking over our woods.

I've just written a new post all about this thorny problem over at Care2.com. Read it and weep (which you may if you have this stuff growing around your home).


As I write this, my hands are covered with tiny, painful splinters -- the razor sharp ends of barberry thorns that poked through my gloves and then broke off in my skin. I plan to purchase a pair of thick, leather gloves and keep on pulling it out by the roots. Barberry, be gone!

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Will a barberry splinter dissolve? I can not get it out.

Anonymous said...

I too have two thornes that poked me and are under my skin and I cannot yet get them out. Did you have any issues with the fact that they are poisonous? Thank you very much

Eve Fox said...

I would not worry. I've had many of them lodged in my fingers. It's uncomfortable but they're not poisonous and I've always found that they eventually work their way out if I am unable to dig them out.