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One way to ward off mosquitoes is to light a coil that releases mosquito repelling vapors.
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These coils manufactured in Thailand contain three natural ingredients traditionally used in this country to keep those biting bugs at bay: eucalyptus, citronella and turmeric.
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The first step is to mix them with certain non-active natural ingredients which form the coil.
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Coconut shell powder, sawdust, tapioca starch and joss powder, an adhesive made from the bark and leaves of the Litsea glutinosa tree.
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Then they add the coil's only chemical active ingredient: meperfluthrin.
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Its vapors are toxic to mosquitoes' nervous systems, yet harmless to humans at low doses.
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A conveyor belt transports it to an extruder, which squeezes the paste through a slot shaped die, producing sheets approximately 5 mm thick.
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A stamping machine then punches out 7 coils per sheet.
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The leftover paste travels back to the extruder to be reformed into fresh sheets.
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After 5.5 hours, the coils come out of the drying chamber hard and sturdy.
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After conducting another visual inspection, workers transfer the dried coils to the automated packing line.
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The machine's first station stacks the coils and piles of five.
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Workers place a metal coil stand on each stack.
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Then the machine's next station packages each stack in clear plastic film.
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The package holds the five coils tightly together so they don't rattle against each other and get damaged.
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It also prevents the scent from dissipating before use.
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At the next station, a high speed robotic arm grabs and opens the retail boxes aligning them opposite the arriving packages of coils.
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The machine inserts the package of coils into each box, then closes the box.
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Provided they're kept sealed in their plastic package and stored away from moisture, the active ingredients remain effective for at least 10 years.
