FLORENCE COUNTY HIGH School National Honor Society members again packed “Fight the Bite” kits for dealing with ticks. From left are senior Carli Bischoff, junior Austin Korff, senior Isabella Millan and junior Kamdan Johnson. (Submitted photo)

Some Florence County High School students are working to better protect the public from one of the most dangerous creatures in the northwoods: The tick.

National Honor Society members at the high school in Florence, Wis., have again packed “Fight the Bite” kits that offer advice both on avoiding the nasty parasite and how to remove any that manage to latch on.

These kits contain informational materials, tweezers, self-adhesive bandages, alcohol swabs, repellent wipes and a card for identifying the different kinds of ticks that might be encountered, plus a collection bag if the person wants to submit the tick for disease testing.

All are conveniently tucked into a clear plastic pouch, perfect for toting into the outdoors.

These kits are available at a number of sites — in Florence, the Krist and BP stations, the Bait Shop and the Florence County Wild Rivers Interpretive and Resource Center; and in Aurora, Wis., at the Stephenson Co-Op — for only $1. All money from sales goes into making more kits, said Ally Kalkofen, public health nurse at the Florence County Health Department.

According to the health department, Wisconsin ranks high nationally for Lyme disease, recording 5,327 cases in 2022.

Other diseases spread by ticks include anaplasmosis, babesiosis and, more rarely, Powassan virus and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, the health department stated in a news release.

Autumn Lambert, Florence NHS advisor and science teacher at the middle/high school, said she “jumped” at the chance to have her students get involved when the health department contacted the school a few years ago.

The NHS looks for public service opportunities, such as ringing bells for the Salvation Army during its holiday Red Kettle fundraising campaign, Lambert said.

“I think it’s just a great way to feel part of the community,” she said.

They’ve got the assembly-line process for the kits so down pat that four Florence NHS members managed April 4 to create more than 100 in one session, Lambert said. All supplies are provided by the health department, purchased with grant funds.

One of those students, senior Isabella Millan, said she has a personal reason for getting involved beyond being a NHS member.

As a 5-year-old, Millan contracted ehrlichiosis, a bacterial disease transmitted by a tick bite, oddly in January. Effects can include fever, chills, headache, muscle aches and sometimes upset stomach, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

She wound up hospitalized and missed a month of school. “That’s pretty hard when you’re a kindergartner,” said Millan, now 18.

It made her want to raise awareness about the threat ticks can pose, even in winter. In the past two years, Millan estimates she’s helped put together hundreds of tick kits.

“This gave me a real sense of purpose, to help others in my community,” she said.

The health department also offered these steps on protecting against tick bites:

Before going outdoors —

— Use an insect repellent with at least 20% DEET or another EPA-registered repellent according to the label instructions.

— Use 0.5% permethrin products on clothing, socks and shoes according to label instructions.

— Wear long sleeves and pants, and tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants to avoid ticks crawling under clothing.

— Use a veterinarian-prescribed tick prevention treatment on pets.

While outdoors —

— Walk in the center of trails and do not brush up against plants on the edge of trails.

— Avoid wooded and brushy areas with tall grass and leaves.

After being outdoors —

— Check your entire body for ticks. Have someone check areas you cannot see.

— Take a shower as soon as possible after coming in from outdoors.

— Place clothes in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks on clothing.

For more information, go to the Florence County Health Department website or on Facebook or Instagram.

The Florence County Health Department is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday in the Florence County Courthouse at 501 Lake Ave. in Florence. They can be reached at 715-528-4837.