How to Clean Out Vines From a Chain Link Fence

Survey the area around the fence for poisonous plants, such as poison ivy or poison oak which can cause rashes. Watch for thorny plants which can cause skin abrasions, pricks or cuts.

Select the herbicide. According to the University of Purdue Department of Horticulture, there are three types of vines. A heavy-brush, woody-stalk herbicide will kill most vines and other undesirable shrubs and bushes. Your grass should be safe. Check with retail personnel to determine the best product. Herbicides are available at hardware stores, home and garden centers and nurseries.

Wear clothing appropriate for lawn and garden work, such as gardening gloves to protect your hands from dirt, herbicides, insects, poisonous plants and abrasions. Safety goggles will protect your eyes from debris. If you have seasonal allergies, a face mask is a good preventative measure.

Refer to manufacturer's instructions to apply the herbicide so the vines will not grow back. Allow time for the herbicide to work. Some herbicides work within a few hours and you can see the leaves wilting. Some others take longer.

Cut the vine stalks near to the ground with the pruning shears to sever the vines from the roots. Repeat this process the length of the fence.

Use you fingers to grasp a vine stem near a center point of the fence. Use moderate force to pull the stem through the chain links toward you. A sturdy fence can withstand the force. If the leaves are wilted, the process is easier, however, if the leaves are still green, it may take a little more effort. Repeat this process the length of the fence.

Use the pruning shears to cut resistant woody stalks that may have grown around the chain links. Cut chunks from the stalk until the chain link is released.

Look at the fence to check for any remaining tendrils, stems, leaves or stalks.

Rake the yard waste into manageable piles. Dispose of the waste in lawn refuse bags.