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

If you go to check your mailbox and discover a dryer sheet inside it, you'll likely find yourself asking, "Who put this here and what does it mean?" But there is nothing to fear! Turns out, it's actually a safety measure that was carried out by the postal worker who delivers your mail.

On Reddit, user @istrx13 (who is also a letter carrier) says that post office employees will put dryer sheets inside mailboxes to deter wasps. "We've found that they hate scented dryer sheets," they write. "If we encounter a box that is a problem for nests, we'll often put one in there and it does the trick."

In addition to repelling wasps, scented dryer sheets will also repel ants. This is likely due to the fact that dryer sheets are heavily scented. Since wasps and ants are insects that have a sensitive sense of smell, the product ends up irritating them.

The bottom line is: If you see a dryer sheet in your mailbox, leave it there. In fact, when you notice that the sheet is starting to lose its scent, do your letter carrier (and yourself!) a favor and replace it. No one wants to be stung by a wasp this spring or summer.

h/t ​Taste of Home ​