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How to Get Honeycomb in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Shear a full bee nest or beehive (honey level 5) to get 3 honeycombs. Shearing angers the bees inside, unless there is a lit campfire or soul campfire (or a fire) under it, or you use a dispenser with shears. Honeycomb is used for beehives, candles, honeycomb blocks and waxing copper or signs.

What you need

Step by step

  1. Find a naturally generated bee nest with bees, or use an occupied beehive. Keep flowers nearby so the bees can gather nectar and return home.
  2. Or grow one: oak, birch and cherry trees grown from saplings within 2 blocks of a flower at the same Y level have a 5% chance to grow with a nest of 2-3 bees. Mangroves have a 1% chance with no flower needed.
  3. Wait until it is full (honey level 5). A comparator reads the honey level, with 5 as the maximum.
  4. Place a lit campfire or soul campfire directly below the nest, within 5 blocks, with a clear smoke path. Keep bees away from the flames. Do not assume a carpet over the campfire is safe in both editions: it blocks the calming effect in Bedrock.
  5. Use shears on the full nest: it drops 3 honeycombs and resets to honey level 0.
  6. A dispenser with shears inside can harvest it without angering the bees. The honeycomb pops out as a dropped item.
  7. Use honeycomb on any copper block (or a copper golem) to wax it and stop oxidation, or on signs to stop them being edited. It also crafts beehives, candles and honeycomb blocks.
  8. Craft 1 beehive from 6 planks and 3 honeycombs: a full plank row on top, a full honeycomb row in the middle and a full plank row on the bottom. Craft 1 candle with 1 string directly above 1 honeycomb. Craft 1 honeycomb block with 4 honeycombs in a 2x2 square.

Java vs Bedrock

Both editions give 3 honeycombs from a full nest or hive. A carpet over a campfire lets the smoke calm bees in Java, but blocks that effect in Bedrock. For a simple setup, keep the smoke path clear; a dispenser containing shears harvests without angering bees in either edition.

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

Why do bees attack me when I collect honeycomb?

Harvesting by hand angers the bees inside unless they are calmed. Use a lit campfire directly below and within 5 blocks, keeping the smoke path clear. A carpet blocks this calming effect in Bedrock. A dispenser with shears is another way to harvest without angering bees.

How do I know a nest is full?

A full nest or hive is at honey level 5. A redstone comparator outputs a signal equal to the honey level, up to 5.

What happens if I break a nest without Silk Touch?

It drops nothing and the bees inside come out angry. With Silk Touch the nest drops itself with the bees inside, and nearby bees do not become angry.

What can I do with honeycomb?

Craft beehives, candles and honeycomb blocks, and wax copper blocks, copper golems and signs.

Related:Bee