Sheltered from wind and rain
Dark and enclosed—ideal for nest-building
Warm at night (metal boxes retain daytime heat)
Undisturbed—most people don’t check them daily
Yellowjackets and paper wasps often build nests deep in the back of mailboxes. And when a mail carrier reaches in to deliver letters?
→ They get stung. Repeatedly.
One mail carrier reported being stung 10 times in a single summer—just doing their job.
Why a Dryer Sheet?
Dryer sheets (like Bounce or Snuggle) contain fragrances and compounds (such as linalool and benzyl acetate) that wasps and bees find unpleasant.
While not a guaranteed repellent, many carriers and homeowners report that tucking a dryer sheet inside deters wasps from nesting—or at least makes them less aggressive.
It’s a low-cost, non-toxic, widely available trick that’s spread through postal worker networks for years.
What the Dryer Sheet Really Means
When you see one in your mailbox, it’s likely:
Left by your mail carrier as a preventative measure
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