THERE may be a common household item sitting loose in your mailbox – and it didn’t come from Amazon.
A strange item popping up inside mailboxes across the country is a safety hack often used by postal workers.
The US Postal Service has quietly adopted an unusual tactic in its fight against summer hazards.
It’s not about keeping mail fresh, it’s about keeping mail carriers safe.
In Longmont, Colorado, roughly fifteen miles from Boulder, postal workers have begun inserting dryer sheets into cluster mailboxes to deter harmful pests.
Postal worker Matthew Taylor said wasps have become a serious problem during deliveries.
“I’ve gotten stung quite a few times,” Taylor told FOX News local affiliate KDVR.
“You make the best of the situation,” he said. “Sometimes, it really, really hurts, but the mail has got to get delivered.”
He said wasps often build nests inside the large cluster mailboxes, which consist of many boxes stacked one on top of the other.
To stop them, Taylor and other carriers place scented dryer sheets into the mail boxes.
Taylor explained that “it is the scent” that keeps the stingers away.
“It creates the impression that it’s not a suitable place for them to build a nest, driving them away without causing any harm,” he explained.
The idea isn’t new – postal workers in other states say they have done the same.
“We’ve found that they hate scented dryer sheets,” one carrier wrote in a 2021 Reddit post.
“If we encounter a box that is a problem for nests, we’ll often put one in there and it does the trick.”
Taylor said he hopes residents understand the sheets are there for a reason, and don’t remove them.
Avoiding mail theft
To prevent mail theft, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) recommends residents take several precautions.
- First, avoid letting mail sit in your mailbox—inspect it daily and remove it promptly.
- For package deliveries, track shipments on the USPS website and sign up for email or text alerts to stay informed.
- If you’re not home when your mail is scheduled to arrive, consider asking a trusted neighbor to pick it up for you.
- For longer absences, you can have your mail held at the Post Office by requesting this service online.
- If valuable mail such as checks doesn’t arrive, immediately reach out to the issuing agency.
- It’s also crucial to update your address with the Post Office and any businesses you regularly correspond with to avoid potential issues.
- Lastly, for outgoing mail, it’s safer to hand it directly to your letter carrier or deposit it inside your local Post Office for added security.
Source: U.S. Postal Inspector
He joked that wasps are bad, but things could get worse.
“In other states like Arizona, New Mexico, they get to deal with scorpions and snakes, things like that, and I think I’ll stick with the wasps.”
The Longmont post office has even set up as summer safety station to protect employees.
Alongside sunscreen and hydration tips, the table offers dryer sheets and insect bite relief sticks.
Carriers who are allergic to stings are encouraged to carry an EpiPen on their routes.
The tactic is used to ward off wasps, hornets and other stinging bugs.
The key lies in the chemical makeup of the dryer sheets, according to This Old House.
Many sheets contain citronella, mint, and lavender scents that include linalool, a natural repellent as it produces naturally occurring alcohol.
When placed in small, enclosed spaces like mailboxes, the sheets can discourage bugs from nesting.
Still, the trick has limits.
While the method may help with fungus gnats, it’s less effective against bees, ants, and mosquitoes, HAWX Smart Pest Control noted.
Though dryer sheets can provide some protection, they aren’t assured to fully repel bugs and should not be viewed as a substitute for more robust or lasting solutions.
USPS is also reminding homeowners to keep mailboxes in good condition.
That includes repainting rusty boxes, replacing loose hinges, and securing posts.
