Do you wear gloves to pick ragwort?

If I’m specifically going out to pull ragwort, yes I always wear gloves (not that I currently have enough to need to do this now)
If I stumble across the odd plant while poo picking then I pull it there and then without gloves and try not to break the skin on the stem. (If I were to go and get gloves, sods law is I wouldn’t be able to find the plant again)
 
I don't really have ragwort in my fields but if the odd bit does appear I always use gloves to pull it, the toxins can go through the skin, it can potentially damage your liver so you really should use gloves if pulling any more than the odd bit, it can build up over years much the same as it does in animals and the damage could be done before you had any symptoms. You are very young so definitely should not risk it.
 
Unless I spot a random plant and pull it I do wear gloves when raworting. I have to admit I don't wear a face mask which I should because the toxins can be inhaled as well as absorbed via the skin.
 
Gloves and a face mask. I've been very ill after marathon ragwort pulling sessions, and I've seen someone hospitalised from pulling and burning the stuff. If my memory serves, there was a thread on here a few years ago about someone having a ragwort pulling party and their OH ending up in hospital.
 
little_critter said:
If I’m specifically going out to pull ragwort, yes I always wear gloves (not that I currently have enough to need to do this now)
If I stumble across the odd plant while poo picking then I pull it there and then without gloves and try not to break the skin on the stem. (If I were to go and get gloves, sods law is I wouldn’t be able to find the plant again)
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This ^^^ I know people who've become ill from not wearing them, why would you take the risk?
 
Always, I have had minor liver and kidney issues picked up in Bloods before so don't feel like tempting fate
 
I don't find much ragwort nowadays but if I find a plant I chuck down something from my pocket to mark the place, bailing twine, phone or hoofpick and collect a disposable surgical glove, little hand fork and salt

I will happily pick up the most awful/creepy things without gloves but not ragwort, someone at some point has drummed it into me :)
 
no, though I know you should. I did when working with horses because then "going ragworting" was a planned task so always had long nitrile gloves ready to go. now I just tend to stumble across the odd plant when i'm in the fields doing something else so I'm not usually prepared, but want to whip it out while I see it.
 
Not for the single ones I find. But I did once have a very wierd day after picking a spectacularly iridescent 'mushroom' and bringing it into the house to show the OH.
 
I will pull he odd plant without but I did an hour of pulling it on sunday so will always wear gloves when doing a proper clear up of the damn stuff, got loads of it this year trying to get rid of it before it flowers.
 
Ha! Don't start me on this one. Had a rather heated discussion on a FB invertebrate page yesterday. Someone on there was growing ragwort on purpose to raise caterpillars and a they argued the toss with me about the legality of that, not controlling at all, that it was not toxic to any creature and pulling it by hand was totally OK. They asked me for non-horsey!!! evidence to support my own views which I did x3 and I asked them in return to put their money where their mouth is and send their family over to pull ragwort gloveless for me so they blocked me! I even said that if they wanted to grow it for the caterpillars then fine but cut the heads off so it cannot seed and they said 'but its such a pretty plant'. Anyway, if it is a single or even a couple of plants then no I wouldn't bother going back for gloves but any more then yes absolutely.
 
If I am going out for a full on ragwort pulling session then I wear gloves but if it is just the off plant I come across then I don't.

Having read this thread I googled ragwort toxicity for humans and came across a number of sites. There is one which seems to be very pro ragwort which is adamant that you can't come to any harm pulling ragwort without gloves but then GOV.UK which has this to say:

https://assets.publishing.service.g...ort_poisoning_risk_to_humans_RFI_6889__2_.pdf
 
Funnily enough I spotted a bit this morning that I need to get tonight. If it's only one, I'll use the plastic bag I collect it in to hold it - more than that and it's gloves
 
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