Apply herbicides in spring as soon as the plant shows full leaves. Use the same herbicides as you would for poison ivy. Although poison oak can be dug up, Elmore suggests caution. Neither poison ivy nor poison oak should ever be burned. Another option, says Elmore, is to buy a goat and encourage it to graze in areas where poison oak is a problem.
Goats are unaffected by the plant, and they're big eaters.
More things that need your attention . . . Change furnace filters as the heating season starts. If your soil is acidic, add lime to garden beds and grass to give them a boost next spring. Clean heavy creosote deposits from your chimney to lessen the chance of fire. Click here for books about home repair.