What do bedbugs secrete? - briefly
During feeding, bed bugs inject «saliva» that contains anticoagulant proteins and anesthetic agents to maintain blood flow and prevent pain. After digestion, they excrete a watery, blood‑rich «fecal fluid» that appears as dark spots on bedding.
What do bedbugs secrete? - in detail
Bedbugs release several distinct substances during feeding and throughout their life cycle.
• Salivary fluid contains anticoagulant proteins that prevent blood clotting, allowing continuous ingestion. The fluid also includes anesthetic peptides that numb the bite site, reducing host awareness. Anti‑inflammatory compounds in the saliva suppress the host’s immediate immune response, facilitating prolonged feeding.
• After digestion, excreted fecal pellets are composed of partially digested hemoglobin, lipids, and nitrogenous waste. These dark spots, often found on bedding, can provoke cutaneous hypersensitivity reactions in humans, manifesting as itchy wheals.
• Cuticular hydrocarbons, secreted onto the exoskeleton surface, serve as pheromonal cues for aggregation and mating. The chemical profile varies with developmental stage, enabling conspecific recognition and coordinated colony formation.
• Defensive secretions are produced from the abdominal glands when the insect is threatened. The mixture includes volatile organic compounds that deter predators and may cause mild irritation upon contact.
Each secretion plays a specific physiological or ecological role, contributing to the pest’s success in human environments.