By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ News

When it comes to the Halloween creepy crawlies, bats have gotten a bad rap over the years.

Kelly Allsup, horticulture educator for the University of Illinois Extension, was a recent guest on the Community Forum, and dispels the rumors.

“They’re more scared of you than you are of them. They’re not going to get in your hair, they’re not going to come after you and they’re not going to spread rabies to you. Yes, it’s a good idea not to handle them, but they’re good to have. Most people get excited when they do have bats, because they know they’re providing them a service. If you every saw a bat up close, it is small and cute,” Allsup said.

Allsup also spoke about spiders, snakes and praying mantises. Her full forum can be found in the podcast section at WJEZ.com.