Aussie tradies are known for being as tough as nails, but finding a giant spider in their work vehicle sends even the boldest scrambling for cover.
Despite tackling some of the toughest jobs around the country daily, unwelcome creepy crawlies inside the driver cabin are many tradie’s biggest nightmare.
The eight-legged hitchhikers have been blamed for a web of road incidents in the past, with panicked and distracted drivers crashing their vehicles or veering off the road after noticing the surprise guest.
Late last year, a driver from Narangba wrote off her car after a huntsman spider climbed through her window and landed on her lap.
Meanwhile, a recent survey showed nearly one-quarter of Aussies say they’ve almost had a car accident after seeing a spider in their vehicle, and 80 per cent claimed to have had a problem with cobwebs on their car.
But an Aussie car care company, Autonomy Co, has developed a revolutionary new pest repellent designed to ward off arachnid invaders inside vehicles without damaging the delicate surfaces.
The barrier treatment spray, named Roadblock, is of higher potency than standard pest sprays but safe to use on all automotive surfaces and interiors.
Utes make the perfect huntsman hiding spot
Autonomy Co-director Amanda Lintott says spiders tend to come aboard utes and trucks when parked closer to the arachnid’s natural habitat, often concealing themselves in the many nooks, crannies and folds found on a vehicle.
“Australia has thousands of species of spider, and plenty of them rather fancy a nice warm place to rest and nest. Only a few – funnel webs and redbacks – can kill people, but plenty of others can give a really painful, long-lasting bite if you or the children pick them up or try to brush them off,” she said.
While arachnid standard repellant sprays have been on the market for years, none have been designed with chemicals suitable for the trim, leather, plastics and paintwork found in vehicles and can often lead to irreparable damage.
Meanwhile, Roadblocks’ delicately chosen chemical concoction provides three months of barrier protection, proven safe for all automotive surfaces and interiors.
“We developed this to be the ultimate deterrent to a very common and frightening distraction that pops up often to frighten drivers,” Ms Lintott said.
“Spiders are attracted to the warmth of engines and can often be found in the engine bay, door frames, or on the underside of cars.”
“They get startled by vibrations when the car gets moving. If this happens in a vehicle at high speed, it can be a dangerous distraction, but even at low speed or camping, it’s a lot of people’s worst nightmare.”
The spray also repels certain insect species, such as ants, with more than 1 in ten Aussie road users experiencing an ant infestation at one point.
The problematic pests have been known to cause costly damage to vehicle electrical systems when congregating in large enough numbers.
The Roadblock repellent is now available at Mitre10 stores and online.
