Summer, ah. For the most part, it’s the most popular time of year since it promises warmth, greenery, and ideally lots of sunshine.
Although I tend to agree that there aren’t many bad things about summer, there are a few things that I would do away with if I were granted supernatural abilities in the future.
Before you say anything, let me say that I am fully aware of the ecosystem’s importance to wasps, and no, I wouldn’t really wipe out a species because I personally dread them, but I think we can all agree that few things have the same power to spoil a BBQ, ruin a garden party, or, in my case at least, send people running for cover as they do.
Fortunately, I don’t work in a field where I frequently come into touch with hornets, wasps, or other stinging insects. For this reason, I frequently give mail carriers some thought.
Recently, a Reddit thread that brought attention to the problems experienced by mail carriers due to wasp infestation garnered popularity. Evidently, yellowjackets are especially problematic since they frequently construct their nests inside mailboxes.
According to the aforementioned post, wasps looking to construct a new home may find mailboxes to be a very excellent structure. Wasps value these qualities in a possible home: they are protected, concealed from the outside world, and have warmth at night.
Now, this would perfectly fine it wasn’t for the fact that it’s someone’s job to interact with said mailboxes on a regular basis. In their Reddit post, the mail carrier explained that they often come across mailboxes serving as a nest for wasps, resulting in frequent stings when they unknowingly stick their hand inside the box to deliver the mail.
A hazard that comes with the job, I hear you say? Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean it has to be.
In fact, there’s actually a nifty hack that can be deployed to keep wasps away, and it involves the use of something as common as a scented dryer sheet!
The scent of the dryer sheet acts as a deterrent for wasps, thus preventing them from claiming a mailbox to build a nest.
So, without furt
Weasels are discouraged from claiming a mailbox to construct a nest by the smell of the dryer sheet.
That being said, here’s what you should be doing right now:
Step 1: Choose a scented dryer sheet. Scent is everything in this situation, so pick one that smells good.
Step 2: Secure the sheet inside your mailbox with tape.
3: Make sure you swap out the dryer sheet on a regular basis to prevent the smell from fading too much for practical use.
There you have it! Share this article if you want to spread some helpful information that might aid our hardworking mail carriers this summer.
