Cows can be protected from flies by dyeing them the color of a zebra

Scientists from around the world are actively exploring distantplanets, but still cannot understand why zebras are painted in black and white. In one of the materials, we mentioned that at the moment, researchers have several explanations for the unusual coloring of zebras. According to them, the striped texture helps animals regulate body temperature, quickly find relatives, hide from predators or scare away insects. The last theory seems to be the most correct, because recently Japanese scientists painted cows the color of a zebra and found that the texture really repels pests. A discovery can save animals from torment, and farmers from spending millions of dollars.

Biting flies make cows very stressed

Due to attacking livestock insectsAmerican farmers are really suffering huge losses. The fact is that when cows are bitten by flies, they experience severe stress, which leads to slow weight gain and a decrease in the amount of milk. Subsequently, livestock farmers sell far fewer products and earn less than $ 2 million a year. But this can lead to a shortage of meat, which is why prices for it can significantly jump. But nobody wants this, right?

How do insects harm animals?

Of course, farmers can scare away flies and others.pests with all kinds of insect repellents. However, they are expensive and also negatively affect the budget of farmers. In addition, many chemicals can damage the health of livestock, which can affect the taste of meat and milk. Livestock farmers may lose customers by selling tasteless products - and again, they lose money.

However, very soon artificial meat will soon be real.

How to protect animals from insects?

In February 2019, researchers from the United States andGreat Britain dressed up the horse in a zebra costume and proved that the striped color is really able to deter pests. They explained the unusual phenomenon by the fact that black and white stripes prevent insects from dropping onto animal bodies. In the case of the horse, the flies tried to bite it, but in the end they missed and simply hit their bodies. So why not apply this insect disposal method in practice?

Zebra colored cow

This is probably what the Japanese thoughtthe researchers applied white streaks to the bodies of black cows. The distance between the lines, like real zebras, was 4-5 centimeters. In the course of observations, scientists noticed that insects really began to attack animals less often. This was evident from the behavior of the cows, because they hardly waved their tails in an attempt to frighten off the pests. Visual inspection at all showed that flies bit the cows 50% less often than usual.

What do you think of the new insect repellent method? Share in the comments or in our Telegram chat.

Zebras can indirectly save us from starvation and disease.

In the near future, such an unusual, but extremelyAn effective way to protect animals from insects can be very popular. Farmers can only choose a paint that does not cause allergic reactions in cows and does not wash off for as long as possible. It is likely that the method will be effective in protecting other animals like horses and sheep. This means that farmers will be able to sell more products, and at lower prices.

But the shortages of pork in China are not to blame for insects, but a dangerous disease - the African plague.

If you look far into the future, this methodrepelling insects can even stop the spread of dangerous diseases like malaria. Just imagine - biologists can catch wild animals and color them in black and white. In theory, this will prevent malaria mosquitoes from infecting animals, which means a deadly disease will become less common.