Axios San Diego
October 30, 2026
1 big thing: Protect your winged friends
It's a batty time of year in more ways than one, as more bats are swooping through our skies during this spookiest of seasons.
The big picture: But our Halloween decorations can be bad for bats, as their wings can get stuck in sticky fake cobwebs, experts told Axios.
- "We've been called to do rescues of bats," Cindy Myers, bat expert at the San Diego Humane Society, told Axios. "The poor little thing. It was totally wrapped up in the cobwebs."
Threat level: To avoid trapping a bat in your seasonal decor, Myers advises choosing fabric or rope cobwebs instead.
- And regardless of the season, if you see a grounded bat, do not touch it. It could have rabies. Call the San Diego Humane Society for guidance or check its website.
The intrigue: Bat sightings around here usually peak in the summer. But the unseasonably warm weather this fall could be one reason we're seeing bats closer to Halloween, Nicole Rose, a bat expert at the Natural History Museum, told Axios.
Spooky season: While it's almost Halloween, there's no need to fear local bats, Rose said.
- They don't drink blood. Of more than 1,500 species worldwide, only three (called "sanguivores") do, she said.
- "They don't want to fly around and bite you," Myers added. "They just have no interest in interacting with humans."
- Even on Halloween.
Zoom in: Here are some other things to know about our bat neighbors.
🦇 There are 47 species of bats in the country, and San Diego is home to 22 of them, Rose said.
📏 We have the biggest and smallest bats in the country. The western mastiff bat has a wingspan of 2 feet (!!), while the tiny canyon bat weighs about as much as a Hershey's Kiss, Myers said.
👂 You might hear bats hunting. Western mastiff bats echolocate at a frequency low enough for human ears to hear.
- It would sound like a sonar ping overhead, Myers said.
Inside the cave: Despite what Batman tells you, bats don't need to live in caves, Rose said.
- That's a good thing, because caves are hard to come by in San Diego.
- Instead, bats roost under bridges, in culverts, in trees and under palm fronds. The smallest bats can squeeze into cracks or crevices just a quarter-inch wide, Rose said.
2. 🧛🏻 When darkness falls Halloween night
The Halloween sun will set just before 6pm here.
Why it matters: Whether your goblins prefer daylight or darkness, local sunset times can help you find the sweet spot for trick-or-treating.
Friction point: Rain is in the forecast for inland areas Saturday night 😭
Yes, but: Sunset doesn't mean immediate darkness. Twilight typically provides another 20-40 minutes of natural light.
The other side: The waning gibbous Halloween moon won't rise until later in the evening, leaving most would-be vampires without much moonlight.
What's next: Later that night, we shift clocks back one hour. Sunday marks the end of daylight saving time, and the start of much earlier sunsets all around.
3. The Current: 🌈 Troubles at Pride
4. 💀 Halloween weekend haunts
Axios San Diego
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