Cows painted with zebra-like striping can avoid biting fly attack

<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;journals.plos.org&#x2F;plosone&#x2F;article?id=10.1371&#x2F;journal.pone.0223447" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;journals.plos.org&#x2F;plosone&#x2F;article?id=10.1371&#x2F;journal...</a>:<p><i>”The treatments were black-and-white painted stripes, black painted stripes, and no stripes (all-black body surface)”</i><p>Weird that they didn’t have a fourth group with white painted stripes. Now, the group with black-and-white painted stripes is the only one that has white paint applied, so it could as well be that the white paint causes the difference.

I think the sample size is too low. I am willing to bet that once you start doing this, the flies will start adapting and learning - eventually completely ignoring the stripes after a few generations.

The problem I have with the paper is regarding the nature of the controls.<p>They painted black and while stripes on the cows. But they don&#x27;t say what the controls were that I can see. Unpainted cows? Or cows painted a single colour.<p>I&#x27;d want to see all white and all black painted animals - perhaps the makeup of the paint put off the flies?

I think the article doesn&#x27;t mention that but this is inspired by previous research on zebras, done to explain why zebras have evolved this kind of pattern.

Somehow driving through South Dakota looking out over a vast field of seaweed eating, zebra striped cows was not the future I anticipated as a youth.<p>I&#x27;d like some more research given that cows come in black &#x2F; white patterns, pure white, and pure black. Is stripes really a thing and how about the other patterns? Do we start breading for color now?

6 cows doesn’t seem like a significant enough sample.<p>Anecdotally, I tend to attract mosquitoes a lot more than some other members of my family. I would imagine the same phenomenon is true among cows.

I can&#x27;t wait for &quot;april fools&quot; announcement after thousands of farmers will paint their cows.

It would be interesting to see whether certain flies evolutionary traits may develop if we start painting cows. It is entirely possible that Zebra stripes serves as a &#x27;radar jammer&#x27; to flies and that it could help decrease fly bites, further studies may be of interest in this area.<p>If evolutionary traits are likely to occurs, it is worth noting that the size of cow (1,400,000,000) [1] and zebra (800,000)[2] population may have an impact on how fast these traits evolve to cope with the new normal.<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.economist.com&#x2F;blogs&#x2F;dailychart&#x2F;2011&#x2F;07&#x2F;global-livestock-counts" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.economist.com&#x2F;blogs&#x2F;dailychart&#x2F;2011&#x2F;07&#x2F;global-li...</a> [2] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.worldatlas.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;where-do-zebras-live.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.worldatlas.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;where-do-zebras-live.htm...</a>

This knowledge has already resulted in products like this horse blanket: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.boeren.nu&#x2F;b_picture&#x2F;6926&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.boeren.nu&#x2F;b_picture&#x2F;6926&#x2F;</a>

It would be awesome if you could do this is a cowshed. Add a stripe projecting light source in the resting area so cows can ruminate with less disturbance.

It seems a different group did the same research last year: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=19212086" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;news.ycombinator.com&#x2F;item?id=19212086</a><p>And if I recall this was also in the news several years ago.

This sounds like an episode of Looney Tunes.<p>I wonder how long before the flies evolve to bother zebras?

Clearly the disruptive startup idea here is yoga pants for cows. Well, yoga body suits. &#x2F;s<p>I love the result. Given the farm automation for feeding, perhaps an automatic paint job could be added to that system as well.

So covering the cows half in white paint, halved the number of bites?<p>Seems like a large number of flaws in this study:<p>1. This wasn&#x27;t 100% so maybe flies avoided the painted cows and just went to bite the non painted cows in the study. Would this work if the whole herd was painted? I know from personal experience that the best mosquito repellant is to bring a &quot;city slicker&quot; as bait but you need DEET if one isn&#x27;t available.<p>2. Maybe it&#x27;s the paint and if you cover the entire cow the flies stay away entirely?<p>3. How long did this experiment run? Once they horseflies get hungry or ending their season, they get more aggressive (they are getting aggressive right now in Ontario)

Cowmouhflage?

I wonder if a poncho would with the same pattern would have the same effect...? brb registering ponchos4cows.com

Or, less bizarrely, presumably it also works if painted like a Friesian?

Could this be applied to cut down on the drugs we need to give cattle?

Will it work for humans?

Camouflage for cows?

Nature always in the middle of our way. Is so annoying that we can&#x27;t turn Africa in a huge cow field... (roll eyes).<p>On the other way, milk fortified with Antimony white, or even better the sweet white lead paint, would do surprising things to children health...