What It Means If You Find A Dryer Sheet In Your Mailbox?

I have to say, this is one of those "I had no idea."  If you happen open up your mail box in Bismarck Mandan this summer, and find a dryer sheet in your mailbox, don't freak out.  You haven't been targeted by a gang or anything like that.  Your mailman isn't trying to send you a message that your mailbox smells.

However, your mailman or woman is probably the person who added a dryer sheet to your mailbox.  Don't touch it and be sure to leave it.  Why?  Mailmen have always had to deal with some unpleasant factors such as inclement weather, biting dogs, I've even seen videos of mail delivery persons getting chased by turkeys.  In fact here's one for you to check out.

Yep, it's tough being a mail delivery person.  Getting back to the dryer sheet mystery.  According to an article by TODAY, the reason for the dryer sheet is to ward off everybody's favorite WASPS.  When summer rolls around, especially late, wasps are looking for any nook or cranny to build a nest before fall and eventually winter.  And, it doesn't take much of a hole for a pesky wasp to find a way in.  Apparently, they love mailboxes around the country.  They also hate dryer sheets, and that will prevent them from building a nest.

I spoke to my favorite North Dakota mail lady Jill Jahnke, and she confirmed that this does indeed happen.  Mostly in rural routes, but it does happen in the city too.  Jill said the dryer sheets also works on ants, spiders and other insects.

If your mail delivery person put one in your box, its for a reason.  Either, he or she has witnessed wasp activity near your mailbox or they may have noticed a small hole in your mailbox, that could be an invite to these creatures from hell.

I know I've fought wasps most of my life in my previous home.  They got into the shed, garage, concrete holes in the driveway, gopher holes in my yard, under the siding in the house, in the crawl space, even my duck aviary.  Yep, wasps are a nightmare.

If you want to really help out your mailman, you might just go add one yourself and get ahead of the game.  They'll probably appreciate it.