The study, published July 20 in Nature Ecology and Evolution, also found that one in eight individual bees had at least one parasite. The study was conducted in field sites in upstate New York, where the researchers screened 2,624 flowers from 89 species and 2,672 bees from 110 species for bee parasites through an entire … More One in 11 flowers carries disease-causing parasites known to contribute to bee declines, according to a new study that identifies how flowers act as hubs for transmitting diseases to bees and other pollinators.