There’s A Reason Someone Left A Dryer Sheet In Your Boise Mailbox
As the weather in the Treasure Valley has gotten warmer over the past two weeks, many people have been asking unusual questions on the NextDoor app. The question isn't about Californians moving into the neighborhood but about dryer sheets appearing in the mailbox.
If you find a dryer sheet in your mailbox, you should leave it there. It's there to protect you and your mail carrier. This trend, which became Reddit-famous two years ago, started close to home in Eastern Oregon by a mail carrier named Chris Stickley. Stickley told the Today Show that he came up with this idea in his first year on the job when he would open mailboxes and find three or four yellowjackets hanging out in mailboxes on hot summer days.
YSK if you randomly see a dryer sheet in the back of your mailbox, your mail carrier put it there for a reason
by u/istrx13 in YouShouldKnow
Dryer sheets carry a scent that pests like yellow jackets reportedly don't like. While there's no scientific evidence to prove that dryer sheets make good pest repellants, mail carriers like Stickley claim that it has made a massive difference. Part of the reason that there is no scientific evidence is because it has never been studied, according to Snopes.
If you see a dryer sheet in your mailbox, your mail carrier certainly believes in Stickley's concept. You might as well leave it there. It doesn't hurt you, and if it works, you won't stick your hand into a mailbox with a yellow jacket waiting to sting you. It also makes your mail smell good!
Seven years ago, Chris Stickley, who made this practice famous, moved from Oregon to Idaho.