How to Get Honeycomb in Minecraft Safely (Java & Bedrock)

To get honeycomb in Minecraft, use shears on a bee nest or beehive that has reached honey level 5. You can recognize a full nest by the honey dripping from its sides and each harvest gives you 3 honeycombs.

Honeycomb can’t be crafted, so in Survival mode a bee nest or beehive is your only source. Shearing a hive angers the bees inside, so place a lit campfire below it first to keep them calm. You can also skip the risk entirely by using a dispenser loaded with shears.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to get honeycomb in Minecraft, where to find bee nests, three ways to harvest safely, how to build a renewable honeycomb supply and what you can craft with it. The methods work in both Java and Bedrock Edition and we’ll point out the important differences along the way.

How to Get Honeycomb in Minecraft in 5 Steps

1. Craft shears. Place 2 iron ingots diagonally in a crafting grid. You’ll need shears to collect honeycomb, whether you use them yourself or load them into a dispenser.

2. Find a bee nest or beehive. Look for bees flying around flowers and trees. Natural bee nests generate on oak, birch and cherry trees in suitable biomes and a meadow is a great place to start.

3. Wait for honey level 5. The nest is ready when honey drips from its sides. If it isn’t full yet, mark its location and come back later.

4. Prepare a safe harvesting setup. Place a lit campfire 2 to 5 blocks below the nest so its smoke reaches it. You can also use a dispenser loaded with shears which harvests honeycomb without angering the bees.

5. Collect the honeycomb. Use the shears on the full nest, just like you’d shear a sheep, and you’ll get 3 honeycombs. They scatter when they pop out, so grab them quickly.

If you’re harvesting by hand, don’t skip the campfire. Without smoke, the bees inside will attack you. Method 1 below explains exactly where to place it.

What You Need Before You Start

If you want to know how to get honeycomb in Minecraft, start by crafting shears. The other items make harvesting safer or easier.

To get iron, mine iron ore to collect raw iron, then smelt it in a furnace. Iron is most common underground around Y=16 and our Minecraft ore levels guide has the details.

To craft a campfire, combine 3 sticks 1 piece of coal or charcoal and 3 logs. A soul campfire, made with soul sand or soul soil works too.

Shears lose durability every time you use them. If you plan to harvest often, craft a spare pair so you’re never stuck in front of a full nest.

Where to Find a Bee Nest in Minecraft

The first step in learning how to get honeycomb in Minecraft is finding a bee nest. A bee nest is the natural version of a beehive. You can’t craft it, so you have to find it. Look for one hanging on the side of an oak, birch or cherry tree, usually with bees flying around the flowers nearby.

Best Biomes for Bee Nests

The percentages below show the chance of a naturally generated tree having a bee nest in each biome. They do not represent the overall chance of finding a nest anywhere in the biome.

Start in a meadow. Every tree there can carry a nest, but meadows have only a few trees, so you may need to walk around a bit. If you can’t find one, try plains or a cherry grove.  Forests and birch forests can have nests too but the odds are so low that searching them usually isn’t worth your time.

Tips for Finding a Nest Faster

• Search during the day. Bees stay inside their nest at night and when it rains, so daytime is when you’ll actually see them flying around.

• Follow the bees. Bees flying between flowers and a tree usually lead you straight to their nest.

• Check the sides of tree trunks. Nests hang on the side of the tree, so walk around it instead of just looking from one angle.

• Note the location if the nest isn’t ready. Bees fill a hive slowly, so you’ll often find one that isn’t full yet. Write down its coordinates and come back later.

• Turn on coordinates. On Java, press F3 to see your position. On Bedrock, enable Show Coordinates in the world settings. Our guide on how to turn on coordinates in Minecraft covers both editions.

• Bring shears and a campfire. If you find a full nest, you can harvest it on the spot.

How to Grow Your Own Bee Nest

If you can’t find a nest, you can grow one yourself. It takes some luck, but the setup is simple.

1. Plant an oak, birch or cherry sapling. Place it on dirt or grass, like any other sapling.

2. Place a flower within 2 blocks of it. Keep the flower at the same height as the sapling. Diagonals count too. The flower must be there before the tree grows.

3. Let the tree grow. You can wait for it naturally or speed it up with a bone meal.

4. Check the tree for a nest. If you’re lucky, you’ll see one hanging on the side of the trunk.

Each tree grown this way has a 5% chance of carrying a nest with 2 to 3 bees. Trees grown from mangrove propagules have a 1% chance and don’t need flowers at all.

The odds are low, so plant several saplings at once and put a flower next to each one. That way you give yourself more chances in a single round.

How to Harvest Honeycomb Without Angry Bees

When learning how to get honeycomb in Minecraft, start by calming the bees before you shear the nest. A nest is ready at honey level 5, when honey drips down its sides. Shearing resets the level to 0 and it refills each time a bee returns with nectar.

Shearing a hive without precautions angers every bee inside. A sting poisons you for 10 seconds on Normal and 18 seconds on Hard, and the bee dies soon after. On Easy there is no poison and on Peaceful bees do no damage. Here are three safe ways to harvest.

Method 1: Use a Campfire

This is the easiest method and the best one for your first harvest. The smoke calms the bees, but the flames can burn them, so placement matters.

1. Wait for honey level 5.

2. Place the campfire 2 to 5 blocks directly below the nest. Keep the space between them clear so the smoke can rise. If the nest is high up a trunk, build a small pillar and put the campfire on top.

3. Stand to the side of the nest. Bees leave through the front, so harvest from another side.

4. Shear the nest. Use the shears and collect the 3 honeycombs.

Should you cover the campfire with a carpet? It depends on your edition:

• Java Edition: Yes. The carpet stops bees from flying into the flames, and the smoke still passes through.

• Bedrock Edition: No. The carpet blocks the smoke, so the bees won’t calm down. Leave the campfire uncovered and place it farther below the nest to lower the risk of bees burning.

Method 2: Use a Dispenser

A dispenser loaded with shears can harvest honeycomb without angering the bees, so you don’t need a campfire. This method works with both natural bee nests and crafted beehives.

1. Place a dispenser beside the nest, facing it.

2. Load it with shears.

3. Connect a button, lever or other redstone power source.

4. Power the dispenser once honey is dripping. The honeycombs drop out.

Method 3: Move the Nest With Silk Touch

A tool with Silk Touch lets you pick up the whole nest and the bees inside stay in it. Without Silk Touch, breaking a nest destroys it and angers the bees, even with a campfire burning below.

Place the nest near your base, plant flowers around it and harvest it with a campfire or dispenser. Bees that are outside the nest when you pick it up stay calm on Java but turn angry on Bedrock, so wait until they return first.

You can get Silk Touch from an enchanting table, but the enchantments are random, so it may take a few tries. Our enchanting table guide explains the setup.

Which method is best for getting honeycomb in Minecraft? Start with the campfire. Choose a dispenser for a hands free setup or Silk Touch if the nest is in an awkward spot 

Bee Nest vs Beehive: What’s the Difference?

A bee nest and a beehive work the same way. Both hold up to 3 bees and give 3 honeycombs at honey level 5. The only difference is how you get them, a bee nest is the natural version you find or grow on trees, and a beehive is the one you craft and place anywhere.

What Is Honeycomb Used For in Minecraft?

You can’t eat honeycomb, but it’s useful for crafting and building. Here are its main recipes:

• Beehive: 6 planks of any wood in the top and bottom rows and 3 honeycombs in the middle row.

• Candle: 1 string placed above 1 honeycomb. You can dye candles and light them with flint and steel.

• Honeycomb block: 4 honeycombs in a 2x2 square. It’s a decorative block.

Honeycomb also works as wax. Use it on a copper block or on most copper variants like cut copper, stairs, slabs, doors, trapdoors, grates and bulbs and it stops oxidizing (turning green). An axe scrapes the wax off again. Using honeycomb on a sign or hanging sign locks its text so nobody can edit it on both Java and Bedrock.

How to Set Up a Simple Honeycomb Farm

Once you have your first 3 honeycombs, you don’t need to search for nests again. Once you know how to get honeycomb in Minecraft, a simple bee farm can help you maintain a renewable supply. 

1. Craft a beehive from 3 honeycombs and 6 planks.

2. Place it near flowers, ideally close to a nest, because bees look for a nearby hive to live in. You can also lead bees over with flowers or a lead.

3. Plant several flowers around the hive so the bees can collect nectar.

4. Harvest at honey level 5 with a campfire or a dispenser.

A hive doesn’t fill on a fixed timer. Each time a bee returns from a flower the honey level goes up by one, so it takes several trips. Bees only work during the day and stay home at night and when it rains.

Common Mistakes When Collecting Honeycomb

Most players run into the same three problems when learning how to get honeycomb in Minecraft. 

Harvesting too early. If you shear a nest and get nothing, it hasn’t reached honey level 5 yet. Wait until you see honey dripping and make sure the bees can reach flowers.

Using a glass bottle. A bottle on a full hive gives you a honey bottle, not honeycomb. Honey bottles are food and cure Poison, but for honeycomb you need shears. Bottles anger the bees too, so smoke the hive first.

Skipping the smoke. If bees attack you, move away and don’t hit them. Poison wears off on its own and drinking milk or a honey bottle cures it. Next time set up a campfire or dispenser first.

Conclusion

Learning how to get honeycomb in Minecraft is simple once you know the basics, and the steps work on both Java and Bedrock. Find a bee nest, often in a meadow, plains or cherry grove and wait until it reaches honey level 5. 

Calm the bees with a campfire placed 2 to 5 blocks below or let a dispenser loaded with shears do the work. Shear the nest to get 3 honeycombs, then craft a beehive, plant flowers nearby and enjoy a renewable supply for candles, waxed copper and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you get honeycomb in Minecraft without getting stung?

Place a lit campfire 2 to 5 blocks directly below a nest at honey level 5, then shear it. The smoke keeps the bees calm. A dispenser loaded with shears also harvests honeycomb without angering them.

How many honeycombs do you get from one hive?

You get 3 honeycombs each time you shear a bee nest or beehive at honey level 5. Both give the same amount.

Can you get honeycomb without shears?

No. You can’t craft honeycomb or eat it, and you need shears to collect it, either by hand or from a dispenser. A glass bottle on a full hive gives you a honey bottle instead.

Can you harvest the same hive again?

Yes. Shearing resets the honey level to 0, and the hive refills as bees return with nectar. Planting several flowers nearby helps it fill faster.

Is getting honeycomb in Minecraft different on Java and Bedrock? ?

The method is the same, but a few details differ. A carpet over the campfire works on Java and blocks the smoke on Bedrock. Bees outside a nest stay calm on Java when you pick it up with Silk Touch, but turn angry on Bedrock. Some biome nest chances also differ.