If you’ve noticed more winged visitors fluttering around the Auburn foothills lately, you’re not imagining things. July brings peak bat season to the region, and while Auburn police are reminding residents to keep their distance, there’s a lot more to this story than simple caution.
Bats are having their moment right now—literally. Young bats are old enough to fly for the first time, summer warmth means insects are everywhere, and those hungry creatures are doing what they do best: eating massive quantities of mosquitoes and other pests. Joellen Arnold of NorCal Bats, a nonprofit bat rescue organization, explains the seasonal uptick plainly: It is warm, so there are more bugs. So, yes, the bats are here to eat the bugs all through the summer. For those of us who’d rather not use bug spray every time we step outside, that’s genuinely good news.
The warning from Auburn police isn’t about running bats out of town—it’s about coexisting safely. The main risk is rabies, which bats can carry. The solution? Don’t handle them with bare hands. If you find a bat, use a cloth, towel, T-shirt, or glove. For live bats, contact a licensed wildlife removal professional. If you find one that’s dead, call Auburn police for pickup and testing. Joellen Arnold and her team of volunteers at NorCal Bats also accept injured and orphaned bats depending on location—reaching out to trained professionals is always the smarter play than DIY bat wrangling.
Local residents already seem to get it. Diana Boyer, who has a bat living under her awning, sees it as part of the deal: it eats a few bugs, minds its own business, and contributes to the ecosystem. Cauleen Doughty notes that bats are exactly the kind of wild animal you leave alone—which is the whole principle anyway. They’re so good for the ecosystem, a natural check on pest populations that keeps our local chain in balance.
This July, as bat activity peaks in the foothills, the message is clear: respect their space, don’t touch them, and let them do their job. You might find you actually appreciate having them around.
About the Author
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
