While it's common news that bees in Minecraft are cute and fuzzy, they are also the creator of Honeycomb. This sticky substance is essential for crafting everything from blocks to candles and even lets you change the state of certain blocks. But getting your hands on the honeycomb can be a bit tricky, especially on the competitive best Minecraft survival servers. There, you don't only have to worry about getting stung by bees but also have to outrun players trying to get the same resources. But, fear not because our guide is here to lead you to the sweet nectar in no time. So, put on a beekeeper hat, grab your flower pot, and let's learn how to get honeycomb in Minecraft.
How to Get Honeycomb in Minecraft (2023)
Our guide goes over everything you need to know about honeycombs in separate sections. Make sure to explore each of them to learn how to get honeycomb in Minecraft without putting yourself at risk.
What is Honeycomb in Minecraft
Honeycombs are a special noncraftable item in Minecraft that serves as a great crafting ingredient as well as a tool to transform some blocks. It doesn't drop as a mob loot nor does it have any crafting recipe. Instead, you have to harvest honeycombs from beehives or bee nests. This makes it almost as rare as all the ancient plants of the Sniffer.
Where Do Honeycomb Spawn
You can only find honeycombs within the Trial Chambers in Minecraft 1.21. They spawn inside the intersection and corridor chests of the structure. At times, you can also find them inside the barrels within the same.
Items Required to Collect Honeycomb
In other to collect honeycomb in Minecraft, you first have to get the following items:
- Shear
- Campfire
- Bees (at least 1)
- Bee Nests or Beehives
As you might expect, bees in Minecraft are responsible for creating honey. And similar to real life, they store it inside a bee nest or beehive, as long as one is close by. Then, slowly but surely they fill up the entire beehive and the honey starts dropping on its side.
This is the time a player can come around, use a spear, and harvest honeycomb from that block. But, the bees won't let you steal their hard work easily which is why you need a campfire to distract them. So, let's go over all the items in your toolkit and learn how to get honeycomb in Minecraft properly.
Where to Find a Bee Nest
While it's true that bee can store their honey in either a beehive or a bee nest, only the latter appears naturally. Moreover, you ironically need a honeycomb to create a beehive. Fortunately, bee nests, a natural home for bees can be found throughout the overworld.
You can find a bee nest in the following biome:
- Birch Forest
- Cherry Grove
- Flower Forest
- Mangrove Swamp
- Meadow
- Plains
- Sunflower Plains
Out of these, only Cherry Grove and meadow biomes have a 100% spawn rate of bee nests. So, you can use our list of the best Minecraft Cherry Grove seeds to make your hunt for bee nests much simpler. Once you locate a bee nest, you'll likely find bees nearby, as they tend to stay close to their home.
How to Make Campfire in Minecraft
As one would expect, bees are extremely protective of their bee nests. So, if you break it or even directly interact with it, an entire swarm of bees will hunt you down. Luckily, you can use the smoke from a campfire to confuse them and loot their nests safely.
Meanwhile, when it comes to creating a campfire, you need to combine three sticks and three log blocks with coal. You can refer to the crafting recipe in the above-mentioned screenshot to get it done in no time. Also, in case you are wondering, the type of wood doesn't affect the campfire. So, you can even use the new bamboo wood in this recipe.
Craft Shears in Minecraft
Whether you want to harvest crops or honeycomb, shears are the only tool you need for the job. Luckily, you just have to put two iron ingots diagonally on the crafting table to turn them into shears. You can use our ore distribution guide to learn how to find iron ore in no time. Then, you can smell the raw iron inside a furnace to turn it into an iron ingot.
How to Get Honeycomb in Minecraft
Once you have collected all the important items, follow these steps to learn how to get honeycomb in Minecraft:
1. First, look for a filled bee nest, which is leaking honey from its holes. If the nest isn't filled, you can wait for the bees to finish filling it up.
2. Then, place the campfire on the ground right beneath the bee nest. The smoke from the campfire will start going through the bee nest and this prevents bees from turning hostile.
3. Finally, right-click or press your secondary action key to use shears on the smoked bee nest and collect your honeycomb. You don't have to worry about the bees' attack as long as you don't break their home.
Uses of a Honeycomb in Minecraft
The honeycomb is the ultimate transformation and crafting ingredient in the game. Once you collect it, you can use the honeycomb in the following ways:
- Beehives: Six wooden planks + three honeycombs
- Candles: String + honeycomb
- Honeycomb Block: four honeycombs
- Waxing signs and hanging signs to prevent anyone from making changes to them (Minecraft 1.20 or later).
- Waxing all types of copper blocks protects them from oxidation.
Whether you are using it in a crafting recipe or for waxing, the honeycomb gets consumed after a single use. So, you should probably make a bee farm in Minecraft to get multiple copies of this useful item.
Honeycomb in Minecraft FAQs
How do you get remove honey or wax from copper?
You just have to use an axe on any waxed item in Minecraft to remove wax or honeycomb from it. This works for copper blocks as well as signs.
How do you harvest honeycomb without getting stung in Minecraft?
The safest way to prevent bees from turning hostile is by smoking their home. You can use a campfire or regular fire to get the job done.
How do you keep honeycomb in Minecraft?
You have to use the silk touch enchantment if you want to pick up, keep and move the nest while keeping the honeycomb in it.
Do honeycomb blocks attract bees?
Honeycomb doesn't attract bees. But, you can place empty beehives or bee nests to invite bees to create a home inside them.
What do Minecraft bees eat?
Bees don't particularly eat anything in Minecraft. Though, you can use flowers to attract them, heal them, and even breed them.
Get and Use Honeycomb in Minecraft
With the right preparation, harvesting honeycomb in Minecraft can be a breeze. But, even with all the right steps, there is nothing to prevent you from accidentally agitating the bees. So, it's vital to create a shield in Minecraft to protect yourself from getting stung. Alternatively, you can also create a saddle in Minecraft and use it to ride away from the swarm of bees. But, once you've collected enough honeycomb, the possibilities are endless. Use it to craft everything from waxed blocks to decorative candles. Join the conversation on our Discord server and let's figure out how to use honeycomb creatively together!