Unlike in real life, Honeycomb cannot be eaten in Minecraft. Instead, this crafting material can be used to make plenty of useful Minecraft objects. Beware, though, procuring Honeycomb can be tricky, as you have to know how to avoid damage-causing bees as well.

How to get Honeycomb in Minecraft

To get honeycomb from a Bee Nest or Beehive in Minecraft, you’ll need to use a pair of Shears on the block. However, a player using shears on a Nest or Hive will anger the bees inside, causing them to sting you. There are two methods of getting honeycomb in Minecraft that avoid angering Bees, keeping yourself safe – and the Bees happy!

Method 1: Smoke

The first method involves using smoke to protect yourself against the bees.

Start by locating a Bee Nest. The best place to find them is in the Flower Forest biome, but they can also be found in any tree forest, as well as Mangrove Swamps in Java Edition, and Meadows and Plains in Bedrock.

Minecraft how to get honeycomb Minecraft bee nest beehive how to farm honeycomb

You can also use a Beehive, which needs to be crafted from Honeycomb and Wooden Planks, so you’ll already need some Honeycomb to do this.

Start a campfire beneath the beehive, so that smoke travels up and calms the bees in the beehive. This will allow you to extract Honeycomb without disturbing the Bees and making them angry.

Minecraft how to get honeycomb

For this to work, the Bee Nest must be no more than five blocks away from the campfire (four-block gap). If the Bee Nest is too high in the tree or you want to move it elsewhere, you will need a tool enchanted with Silk Touch.

Now, use Shears to shear the beehive. Three honeycomb materials will drop from the beehive, and you can pick this up to add it to your hotbar and inventory without getting stung by bees.

Honeycomb Be Nest Minecraft Shears

Ensure that the beehive is at Honey level 5 before trying to extract Honeycomb.

Method 2: Dispenser

The second method uses a Dispenser. This method can be used to set up auto-collecting honeycomb farms.

Bee Nests can generate naturally in Minecraft, in Forests or Mangrove Swamps in Java Edition, and in Forests, Plains and Meadows in Bedrock Edition. To harvest Honeycomb, the Bee Nest will need to be at Honey level 5. You’ll know a nest is at level 5 due to a change in the texture, showing honey filling the holes (picture below).

Honeycomb Bee Nest Minecraft honey level 5

If you’re struggling to find one naturally, Bee Nests have an 5% chance of generating when an Oak or Birch tree grows if the sapling was planted within two blocks of a flower.

Place a Dispenser against one of the sides of the Bee Nest or Beehive. and place at least one set of Shears inside. The Dispenser will trigger as soon as the Nest or Hive reaches honey level five, and will extract the Honeycomb for you, and no Bees will emerge to attack you.

Minecraft Shears in a Dispenser for Honeycomb

If you’re using this method, you’ll likely bee moving your Nest elsewhere. In this case, you’ll need a tool equipped with the Silk Touch enchantment.

Using the dispenser method will cause the Honeycomb to drop the the floor. If you remain nearby, you can simply collect the Honeycomb. However, to automate the farm, try placing a Hopper underneath the Nest or Hive, leading into a chest in which the Honeycomb will collect. Place nine Shears in the dispenser and ensure there are plenty of flowers around and you’ll be able to just leave the Bees to do their thing.

Honeycomb Bee Nest Minecraft collect drops

Honeycomb is a valuable resource in Minecraft. The first method for collecting Honeycomb is the most effective way. If you need to collect a lot of Honeycomb when producing Honeycomb blocks for building, the best idea is to place a Campfire with a Carpet below the Beehive for a constant source of Smoke.

What to make with Honeycomb in Minecraft?

Honeycomb Block: This decorative block can be made with four Honeycomb on a crafting table.
Candle: You can make a Candle on a Crafting Table with one String and one Honeycomb.
Beehive: You’ll need six wooden planks and three honeycombs in order to make 1 Beehive.
Waxed Copper: Waxed Copper is resistant to oxidization in Minecraft and never turns green. You can make it on a Crafting table with 1 Honeycomb and one Copper Block.

Crafting recipes for Minceraft Honeycomb

Which Minecraft version? Bedrock Edition or Java Edition

Minecraft is available on virtually every platform you can think of. Depending on which version of the game you have, it could well effect how things need to be done as the required game version can alter. Console players will be playing what’s known as Bedrock Edition. If you are playing on PC, you may be playing the original Java build, but could have access to both. Thankfully, the only difference between the versions when it comes to making honeycomb is where you might find Bee Nests naturally. Otherwise. making honeycomb works in the same manner regardless of the version you are on, even Minecraft Education edition or Minecraft Pocket Edition on your iOS or Android mobile device!

More Minecraft farming guides

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How to Get Honeycomb in Minecraft

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