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:

Tasks:


TASK: Read a book with the word "essential" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: A Beautiful Blue Death - Charles Finch
PAGES: 309
DATE READ: July 4, 2025
HOW IT FITS: Pg 286 "It was essential that you commit the bloodless murder."

TASK: Read a book where a character is a good cook (food source) for other characters.
BOOK/AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
HOW IT FITS:

TASK: Read a book with a shelter of some kind on the cover (tent, lean-to, etc.)
BOOK/AUTHOR:
PAGES:
DATE READ:
HOW IT FITS:

Optional Spell Out: BLOSSOMS

B
L
O
S
S
O
M - Aeon Rising: The Apocalypse Begins - Matthew Mather 6/30/25
S

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 Post


TASK: Read a book where the MC is not tidy.
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Naturals - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
PAGES: 311 Pages
DATE READ: 7/12/24
HOW IT FITS: Lia Zhang is not very tidy.

TASK: Read a book with a flower pot, window box or other small garden on the cover.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Dastardly Deceit and The Bow Wow Bakery / Belinda Page
PAGES: 186
DATE READ: 9/11/2024
HOW IT FITS: There is a planted tree/plant beside the door to the bakery and window boxes on the top two windows both to the left and to the right of the bakery


TASK: Read a book with the word "crack" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: A Great Deliverance // Elizabeth George ⭐️⭐️⭐️
PAGES: 336
DATE READ: 7/5/24
HOW IT FITS: Pg 235 "...through a crack in the wall..."

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 Post:


TASK: Read a book by an author whose initials are NOT found in the word PESTICIDE.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson
PAGES: 384
DATE READ: 3/10/25
HOW IT FITS: J R J is not found in the word PESTICIDE

TASK: Read a book where the MC is very sensitive (your interpretation).
BOOK/AUTHOR: The Something Girl by Jodi Taylor
PAGES: 262
DATE READ: 2/5/25
HOW IT FITS: The MC was abused emotionally as a child. She still has problems believing her worth and accepting that people love and accept her.

TASK: Read a book with the word "organic" in the text.
BOOK/AUTHOR: Flipped for Murder by Maddie Day
PAGES: 304
DATE READ: 6/17/25
HOW IT FITS: Loc: 250 "Plus organic hot dogs,..."

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