Honey: How To Get And What It Does
Discovering the Art of Gathering and Utilizing Honey in Minecraft
Minecraft’s 1.15 update brought an intriguing addition to the game in the form of bees, alongside numerous general improvements. While these buzzing creatures didn’t introduce groundbreaking mechanics, they certainly added an engaging dimension to the survival sandbox.
Bees can be encountered in regions teeming with flowers, with flower forest biomes being prime spots to begin your quest. Nevertheless, don’t disregard regular forests and plains biomes, as they are also frequented by bees who establish their hives there. While beekeeping and honey extraction may not be endeavors for the early stages of the game, their long-term benefits can significantly enhance your gameplay.
In both Minecraft and reality, the desire for honey often comes with a reluctance to face off against irate bees. To simplify matters, this guide has been thoughtfully formatted to emphasize crucial bee-related information, making your honey-gathering adventures more accessible.
1. Beehives
The initial and most challenging task involves locating a beehive, typically situated near clusters of blooming flowers.
Caution: Attempting to break a beehive without a Silk Touch tool is a decidedly ill-advised endeavor. Doing so will inevitably provoke the bees residing within the hive, with no honey to show for it; only the empty beehive itself and any remaining bees will remain as a result.
Pay close attention to the appearance of the beehive. Once it exhibits a glistening honey texture, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of dripping and the emergence of orange particles on the ground, you’ll know that the beehive is brimming with honey, ready for the taking.
Keep in mind: Each time a bee departs its hive to engage in pollination, the quantity of honey within the hive steadily increases.
2. Start Harvesting
To commence your harvest, you’ll require an empty glass bottle and a pair of shears. Using the shears on the beehive will provide you with honeycombs, versatile resources that can be employed to craft your own beehive or to create a decorative honeycomb block.
Pro tip: Honeycombs also serve as essential components for crafting candles and waxed copper blocks.
By employing an empty glass bottle on the hive, you can collect honey, resulting in a honey bottle. When you accumulate four honey bottles, you can combine them to create a honey block, a material with unique applications that we’ll delve into shortly.
Honey, when consumed, not only replenishes a portion of your hunger but also possesses the valuable ability to cure any Poison status effects. Additionally, it can be further transformed into sugar, expanding its range of uses.
3. Avoiding Angry Bees
Before embarking on your harvest, it’s crucial to pacify the bees residing within the hive. Neglecting this step would result in a relentless swarm of irate bees hot on your heels. The most straightforward approach to achieving this is by positioning a lit campfire directly beneath the beehive. The campfire’s flames should be within a maximum range of five blocks from the hive.
Pro tip: If crafting a campfire isn’t feasible, an ignited fire surface, like one created on netherrack, serves as an effective alternative for calming the bees.
4. Honey Blocks
Honey blocks are a distinct, slightly translucent block that can be crafted using three glass bottles of honey. Their usage stands out due to the unique interactions they offer, as mobs will actively avoid honey blocks and refrain from walking on them.
Additionally, when any mob or player traverses a honey block, their movement capabilities are significantly hindered. Walking or jumping on a honey block occurs at a notably reduced pace.
Honey blocks also serve as a means to decelerate and mitigate fall damage. Players can gracefully slide down surfaces coated with honey blocks, making them an excellent choice for descending from heights. Furthermore, landing on a honey block substantially diminishes fall damage, reducing it by approximately 80%.
However, it’s essential to note that some fall damage will still be incurred, as honey blocks do not entirely nullify the impact like water does.