Cow’s days of fly-shooing and hoof-stomping are coming to their end. Researchers say that all it takes to repel pests is a new paint job. Thanks to the researchers who found a better way to reduce the need for using pesticides on livestock – painting cows like zebras.
According to a recent study published in PLOS One, black cows painted with zebra stripes are significantly less likely to endure pesky horsefly bites, almost 50% less.
Japanese scientists took six cows and gave them each black-and-white stripes, black stripes, and no stripes. They took photos of the cow’s painted right side and counted the number of bites as they happened. They also watched how the cows reacted to the bites.
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The researchers discovered that unpainted cows and cows with black stripes suffered from 110 bites in 30 minutes, while the black-and-white cows suffered fewer than 60 in the same time period.
The scientists were inspired by past experiments that indicate that black and white surfaces attract fewer flies than the solid black color.
According to the study, flies will not land on black and white surfaces due to the polarization of light, which impairs their perception. Researchers found out that cows painted like zebras were bitten almost 50% less than black animals.
Fly bites are not just annoying. The insects interfere with cattle grazing and feeding. They also increase fly-repelling behaviors like foot stamping and head throwing. According to the researchers, flies are the reason for the cattle to bunch together, increasing heat stress and risk of injury. Fly bites are estimated to cost the livestock industry billions every year.
Painting the cows like zebras is an alternative to the use of conventional pesticides for reducing fly bites on livestock. The paint can also improve animal welfare, human health and even save the environment at the same time No more pesticides! Such an easy solution to a big problem.
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The water-based paint fades in a few days, so this is a short-term solution. Cow owners would need to spray down thousands of cows a few times a week for the best results. However, this would improve the health of the cows, which would also benefit the economy
