Painting Stripes on Cows to Deter Biting Flies
The practice of painting stripes on cows and horses has been shown to be an effective method for discouraging biting flies and improving the animals’ well-being (Mirror, 2022). There are a few theories as to why this technique works:
Thermal Confusion Theory
One theory suggests that the different heating of the white and black stripes confuses the flies, making it difficult for them to locate and land on the animal (Mirror, 2022). The contrasting temperatures of the striped pattern may disrupt the flies’ ability to perceive the animal as a suitable landing spot.
Edge Detection Theory
Another theory, proposed by the author, suggests that the stripes trigger the flies’ “incoming swat” alarm. The author imagines shrinking down to fly size and observing that the eyes of biting flies are highly responsive to moving edges, likely as a survival mechanism to avoid being swatted. When the flies approach the stripes, the distinct edges set off this alarm, causing them to stay away (Author’s theory).
Empirical Evidence
A study reported in the Mirror (2022) found that zebra-striped cows experienced about half the normal number of flies compared to non-striped cows, and were thus less stressed. This suggests that the striped pattern is an effective deterrent for biting flies, improving the animals’ overall well-being.
In conclusion, the practice of painting stripes on cows and horses has been shown to be an effective method for discouraging biting flies, with two main theories proposed to explain the mechanism behind this phenomenon. Further research may be needed to test the author’s “edge detection” theory and provide additional empirical evidence to support the efficacy of this technique.
