Japanese scientists recently won an Ig Nobel Prize for their unusual study about painting cows withs. The Ig Nobel Prize is a funny award that honors research that makes people laugh first, then think. The researchers from Aichi Agricultural Research Center found that painting white stripes on cows cut down biting flies by up to 50 percent compared to cows with black stripes or no paint at all.
Biting flies are a major problem for cattle, making them stressed and reducing milk production and weight gain. Farmers usually use bug sprays, but that can create chemical-resistant flies and contaminate food. The research builds on earlier studies showing flies prefer to land on darker animals rather than lighter ones. The paint washes off after a few weeks, so farmers would need a longer-lasting solution to make this practical.
Source: Oddity Central
