Protecting Our Little Corner of Paradise
The Monterey Peninsula is our home
10/21/2026
We Are Fortunate To Call The Monterey Peninsula Home
From our magnificent Monterey pines and coastal cypress trees to our pristine beaches, abundant wildlife, and cool ocean breezes, we live in one of California's most extraordinary natural environments. Local Carmel residents founded Carmel Bats, driven by a passion for preserving this remarkable place and protecting the delicate ecological balance that makes it so special. Compared with many warmer regions of California, our coastal communities enjoy relatively limited mosquito activity, and we want to keep it that way. While the Monterey Peninsula is not entirely mosquito-free, we have good reason to appreciate our environment and every reason to protect it.
But the natural advantages we enjoy today don't guarantee what tomorrow will bring
Rising temperatures, changing weather patterns, and the spread of invasive mosquitoes across California raise concerns about diseases such as dengue (breakbone fever), West Nile virus, Zika, and chikungunya. These illnesses are not currently known to be spreading locally on the Monterey Peninsula, but West Nile virus has circulated elsewhere in California, and invasive mosquitoes have been detected in neighboring Santa Cruz County. We believe protecting our community begins long before a serious public health problem develops. That means supporting responsible mosquito surveillance and prevention while conserving the native wildlife that contributes to our healthy local ecosystem.
That's why we created Carmel Bats
A volunteer organization dedicated to bat education, habitat conservation, and the free installation of bat boxes throughout the Monterey Peninsula. Bats are extraordinary nighttime insect hunters that naturally consume moths, beetles, flies, mosquitoes, and other flying insects. Although bat boxes alone don't prevent mosquito-borne diseases, providing suitable roosting habitats helps protect these valuable native mammals and supports a thriving ecosystem. Our Carmel Bats volunteers work with homeowners to identify suitable locations, build bat boxes, and install them at no cost.
Join us in protecting the Monterey Peninsula we love
Give bats a home, help preserve our natural environment, and put more mosquitoes on the menu!
