The Challenge Factory discussion

Save the Bees!
Challenge Starts July 1, 2024

There are over 20,000 bee species found in the world. This diversity encompasses some of the most important insects for agriculture, wild plants, and home gardens.
Many plants rely on pollinators, including bees, for pollination. Some plants are fully dependent on bees, while others are only partially dependent.
Fully dependent plants include brazil nuts, cocoa beans, kiwi and melons. Partially dependent plants include avocados, coffee and nuts. Other plants that rely on bees are almonds, apples, apricots, blueberries, cotton, papaya, passionfruit, and strawberries.

Take seven steps to help protect the bees! Each step requires 3 books.

There is an optional spell out for each level as well. For spell outs, you may use the first letter of the first word of the title (using or omitting an opening A/An/The), or the first letter of the author's first or last name.

Post your completions in your own thread. You may take as long as you need to complete this challenge.

Sample completion post:

TASK:
BOOK/AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
HOW IT FITS:

Plant a Bee Garden
Keeping a tidy garden may actually backfire for bees. This is because it removes items and sites that are usually used by the insects. Only honeybees form hives, while 70% of the rest of bees nest in the ground and 30% use cracks and crevices as their bee home.

One of the largest threats to bees is a lack of safe habitat where they can build homes and find a variety of nutritious food sources. You can create a safe haven for bees with pollen- and nectar-rich flowers by planting a range of shapes, sizes, colors, and bloom times. You don’t need a ton of space to grow bee-friendly plants — gardens can be established across yards and in window boxes, flower pots, and mixed into vegetable gardens. Seek out locally native plants as often as possible as many bee species have coevolved to feed exclusively on native flowers and need them to survive.

Tasks:
1. Read a book where the MC is not tidy.
2. Read a book with a flower pot, window box or other small garden on the cover.
3. Read a book with the word "crack" in the text.

Optional Spell Out: SAFE HAVEN

REMEMBER: Books completed before July 1st will not count for this challenge.

Completion

TASK: 3. Read a book with the word "crack" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Trusting the Elements by Elle Keaton
DATE READ: 7/1
HOW IT FITS: Pg 64 “at the crack of dawn”

TASK: 2. Read a book with a flower pot, window box or other small garden on the cover.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Prince of Poison by Alice Winters
DATE READ: 7/15
HOW IT FITS: Small flower garden on cover


TASK: 1. Read a book where the MC is not tidy
BOOK/AUTHOR: Dead Serious Case #5 Madame Vivienne by Vawn Cassidy
DATE READ: 7/22
HOW IT FITS: Tris is not tidy compared to Danny

Completed 3 tasks!

Go Chemical-Free for Bees
Regardless of which flowers you plant, avoid using pesticides and herbicides. Synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, and neonicotinoids are harmful to bees, wreaking havoc on their sensitive systems. A garden can thrive without these harmful chemicals — in fact, one goal of a bee-friendly garden is to build a sustainable ecosystem that keeps itself in check by fostering beneficial populations. If you must use a pesticide, choose a targeted organic product, and always avoid applying pesticides directly to the soil or when flowers are blooming.

Tasks:
1. Read a book by an author whose initials are NOT found in the word PESTICIDE.
2. Read a book where the MC is very sensitive (your interpretation).
3. Read a book with the word "organic" in the text.

Optional Spell Out: SUSTAINABLE

Completion

TASK: 2. Read a book where the MC is very sensitive (your interpretation).
BOOK/AUTHOR: Line Mates & Study Dates by Eden Finley
PAGES: 308
DATE READ: 7/29
HOW IT FITS: Kole describes Asher as being very sensitive about a bunch of things.

TASK: 1. Read a book by an author whose initials are NOT found in the word PESTICIDE.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Swipe Left, Power Down, Look Up by Amy Lane
PAGES: 145
DATE READ: 7/30
HOW IT FITS: initials are A and L

TASK: 3. Read a book with the word "organic" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Real Baxter by Lane Hayes
PAGES: 370
DATE READ: 8/1
HOW IT FITS: Loc 886 “one-of-a-kind organic baby clothes”

Completed 3 tasks!

Provide Trees for Bees
Did you know that bees get most of their nectar from trees? When a tree blooms, it provides thousands of blossoms to feed from. Trees are not only a great food source for bees, but also an essential habitat. Tree leaves and resin provide nesting material for bees, while natural wood cavities make excellent shelters. Native trees such as maples, redbuds, and black cherry all attract and support bees. You can help bolster bee food sources and habitat by caring for and planting trees. Trees are also great at sequestering carbon, managing our watersheds, and cooling air temperatures.

Tasks:
1. Read a book with the word "essential" in the text.
2. Read a book where a character is a good cook (food source) for other characters.
3. Read a book with a shelter of some kind on the cover (tent, lean-to, etc.)

Optional Spell Out: BLOSSOMS

Completion

TASK: 1. Read a book with the word "essential" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Murder in Shades of Blue and Green by Ripley Hayes
PAGES: 238
DATE READ: 8/2
HOW IT FITS: Page 42 “international fees were essential to the college”

TASK: 2. Read a book where a character is a good cook (food source) for other characters.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Baxter's Right-Hand Man by Lane Hayes
PAGES: 290
DATE READ: 8/4
HOW IT FITS: Lorenzo cooks for Pierce, he’s a good cook.

TASK: 3. Read a book with a shelter of some kind on the cover
BOOK/AUTHOR: Wedded Blintz by Leighann Dobbs
PAGES: 213
DATE READ: 8/5
HOW IT FITS: Shelter on the cover

Completed 3 tasks, next please!

Create a Bee Bath
Bees work up quite a thirst foraging and collecting nectar. Fill a shallow bird bath or bowl with clean water, and arrange pebbles and stones inside so that they break the water’s surface. Bees will land on the stones and pebbles to take a long, refreshing drink.

Tasks:
1. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word WATER.
2. Read a book where a character becomes very thirsty.
3. Read a book where the MC is very shallow.

Optional Spell Out: REFRESHING

Completion

TASK: 1. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word WATER
BOOK/AUTHOR: Condos and Corpses by Angela K. Ryan
PAGES: 233
DATE READ: 8/9
HOW IT FITS: A and R initials

TASK: 2. Read a book where a character becomes very thirsty
BOOK/AUTHOR: Turnabout by Laurel Greer
PAGES: 302
DATE READ: 8/13
HOW IT FITS: Loc 1901 “Sitting at my dad’s desk, headache brewing because I haven’t had anything to drink in a few hours and I’m thirsty.”

TASK:3. Read a book where the MC is very shallow.
BOOK/AUTHOR: In the Nick of Time
PAGES: 197
DATE READ: 8/14
HOW IT FITS: Nick is shallow and flaky, especially at the beginning.

Completed 3 tasks!

Protect Ground Nesting Bees
Did you know that 70% of the world’s 20,000 bees — including bumblebees — live underground. There, they build nests and house their young, who overwinter and emerge each spring. Ground nesting bees need bare, mulch-free, well-drained, protected soil in a sunny area to create and access their nests. Leave an untouched section for ground nesting bees in your garden!

Tasks:
1. Read a book that has a bare yard in at least one scene.
2. Read a book whose author's initials are in the word UNTOUCHED.
3. Read a book with a character who builds a nest (can be a figurative nest if the character is a human).

Optional Spell Out: UNDERGROUND

Completion

TASK: 3. Read a book with a character who builds a nest (can be a figurative nest if the character is a human).
BOOK/AUTHOR: Say You’ll Be Nine by Lucy Lennox
PAGES: 276
DATE READ: 8/17
HOW IT FITS: Nine builds a cabin, which is a home/nest

TASK: 1. Read a book that has a bare yard in at least one scene.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Independence Day in Cherry Hills by Paige Sleuth
PAGES: 150
DATE READ: 8/20
HOW IT FITS: The killer escapes through the bare backyard.

TASK: 2. Read a book whose author's initials are in the word UNTOUCHED
BOOK/AUTHOR: Rearranged by E.M. Denning
PAGES: 215
DATE READ: 8/23
HOW IT FITS: Initials are E and D

Completed 3 tasks!

Leave Stems Behind
30% of bees live in holes inside of trees, logs, or hollow plant stems. Don’t cut those hollow stems, which are valuable bee habitats. A hollow stem may not seem like prime real estate to us, but to the mason and other bees, it’s a cozy home in which they may overwinter. Wait until the spring to cut back dead flower stalks, leaving stems 8 to 24 inches high to provide homes for cavity-nesting bees.

Tasks:
1. Read a book about a character who waits to do something until later.
2. Read a book with an author whose initials can be found in the word CAVITY.
3. Read a book where a character stalks something.

Optional Spell Out: PLANT STEM

Completion

TASK: 3. Read a book where a character stalks something
BOOK/AUTHOR: Silver Fox by Tatum West
PAGES: 302
DATE READ: 8/27
HOW IT FITS: Derek is stalking Nikki to scare him.

TASK: 2. Read a book with an author whose initials can be found in the word CAVITY.
BOOK/AUTHOR: A Highland Gargoyle's Lucky Star by Chloe Archer
PAGES: 269
DATE READ: 11/21
HOW IT FITS: Initials are C and A

TASK: 1. Read a book about a character who waits to do something until later
BOOK/AUTHOR: Mummified Meringues by Leighann Dobbs
PAGES: 278
DATE READ: 2/23
HOW IT FITS: Nans waits until later to tell the police what happens.

bump

Support Local Beekeepers and Organizations
Local beekeepers work hard to nurture their bees and the local community. The easiest way to show your appreciation is to buy locally-made honey and beeswax products. Many beekeepers use products from their hives to create soaps, lotions, and beeswax candles. Plus, local honey is not only delicious — it is made from local flora and may help with seasonal allergies! You can also give time, resources, and monetary donations to local beekeeping societies and environmental groups to help their programs grow.

Tasks:
1. Read a book where the MC sells or buys a locally grown product.
2. Read a book with the word "honey" in the text.
3. Read a book with a character who suffers from allergies.

Optional Spell Out: APPRECIATION