Get and Use Honeycomb in Minecraft: Easy Guide & Tips

Last Updated: August 26, 2022

Getting honeycomb in Minecraft is simple; you'll just need to find a bee nest or hive, wait for it to reach honey level 5, and then use a pair of shears to harvest three honeycomb. But as you may have found, taking honeycomb from a hive or nest angers the bees enough to attack. So how can you get honeycomb without being attacked? This wikiHow guide will show you how to safely gather honeycomb in Minecraft without angering the bees, and help you turn your honeycomb into candles, waxed copper, and even your own beehive.

Section 1 of 2:

Getting Honeycomb Safely

1
Craft a set of shears. If you don't already have shears in your inventory, they're easy to make using 2 iron ingots:
- Open the 3 x 3 crafting table.
- Place one iron ingot in the center of the grid (the second box in row 2).
- Place another iron ingot in the first box in row 3.
2
Find a bee nest or beehive. Bee nests grow in the wild, while beehives are crafted by players. You'll find bee nests hanging from oak and birch trees in Meadow biomes. Bee nests hang just below the leaves of the tree.
- You'll may also find nests in Plains, Sunflower Plains, and Flower Forest biomes, but not as often.
- Each time a bee leaves the nest or hive after spending the night, the honey level increases by 1. You won't be able to harvest honeycomb until the nest or hive reaches honey level 5.
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3
Place a campfire directly beneath the hive or nest. To harvest your honeycomb without angering the bees, you need to place a campfire below the hive (within 5 blocks). The smoke from the campfire will calm the bees so they don't attack you. You can craft a campfire from 3 sticks, 1 charcoal or coal, and 3 wood or logs.^{[1]
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Research source} To craft a campfire:
- Open the 3 x 3 crafting table.
- In the first row, place 1 stick in the second box.
- In the second row, place these items in order: one stick, one piece of charcoal or coal, and one stick.
- In the third row, place a piece of wood or a log in each of the three boxes.
- Clear one block just above the nest or hive to allow smoke to pass through.
- Dig one block directly below the nest or hive.
- Place the campfire into the whole you've dug. The campfire lights automatically.
4
Protect the bees. Like in the real world, bees are a helpful part of the Minecraft ecosystem.^{[2]
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Research source} As long as the bees in the area are safe, you can continue to gather honeycomb from this nest or hive every time it reaches honey level 5. If you want to get honeycomb without damaging the bees, here's what you'll need to do:
- In Java Edition, place a carpet over the campfire; the smoke will flow through the carpet, but the bees will be safe.
- In Bedrock Edition (Windows 10, consoles, etc.), don't use a carpet—instead, put the campfire in a hole below the hive and surround the hole with a fence. You'll also need to extinguish the campfire after harvesting the honeycomb (which is not necessary in other versions)—you can do so by placing a water block on the campfire.
5
Use the shears to collect 3 honeycomb. When the nest or hive reaches honey level 5, the honeycomb is ready to harvest. You'll know the hive or nest is ready when it's overflowing with honey. Now that the smoke is making the bees docile, select the shears in the hotbar, then use them to harvest the honeycomb:
- Java, Windows 10, and Education Edition: Click and hold the nest.
- Pocket Edition: Tap and hold the nest.
- Xbox One: Press and hold RT.
- PS4: Press and hold R2.
- Nintendo Switch: Press and hold ZR.
6
Return to the hive or nest again once it replenishes its honey. You can continue harvesting honeycomb from this nest or hive as long as there are bees in the area.
- If you're playing Bedrock Edition, don't forget to extinguish the campfire. You can relight it in the future by shooting it with a flaming arrow, dispensing flint or steel onto it, or hitting it with items with fire aspect.

Section 2 of 2:

Uses for Honeycomb

1
Make candles. You can combine one string and one honeycomb to craft a candle, which gives you an aesthetically pleasing light source.
- Open the 3 x 3 crafting table.
- Place one string in the first row, second box.
- Place one honeycomb in the second row, second box.
2
Craft your own beehive. If you'd like to keep your own bees, you can combine 3 honeycomb with 6 wooden planks to build a hive in an area with flowers. Once your hive is ready, you can collect bees by placing them on leads and luring them home. To craft a beehive:
- Open the 3 x 3 crafting table.
- Fill the first row of the crafting grid with any 3 wooden planks.
- Fill the second row with 3 honeycomb.
- Fill the third row with any 3 wooden planks.
3
Make copper that doesn't oxidize. Combining one honeycomb with one copper block creates waxed copper, a type of copper that doesn't turn green over time. To make waxed copper:
- Open the 3 x 3 crafting table.
- Place a copper block into the first box on the grid.
- Place a honeycomb into the second box in the first row.
4
Create honeycomb blocks for building. Honeycomb blocks are simple decorative blocks you can use to build things in Minecraft.^{[3]
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Research source} You'll just need 4 honeycomb to create a honeycomb block:
- Open the 3 x 3 crafting table.
- In the first row, place one honeycomb into the first box, and another in the second box.
- In the second row, place one honeycomb into the first box, and another in the second box.