Everything you need to know about Minecraft bees

Looking for some Minecraft bees? You may have noticed a fair bit of buzzing in the greener areas of your blocky world recently: that’s down to the addition of these industrious little critters. Bees, and the honey they work hard to produce, is yours for the taking if you know where to track them down. 

Not only does this guide cover the various Minecraft bees nest locations, but I’ve also outlined how to expand your buzzing colony through breeding. Grab your favourite flowers and let’s bring some baby buzzers into the world. 

How to find Minecraft bees

Minecraft bees nests can be found in oak and birch trees in the Plains, Sunflower Plains, Forest, and Flower Forest biomes. The higher the tree density, the more likely you are to find a nest. So, Flower Forests are the perfect place in which to get started. 

Bee nests are naturally-generated blocks. Beehives perform a similar function, but are crafted. Both hold up to three bees maximum. Bees leave their nest one at a time to collect pollen, so if you notice a bee buzzing around, follow it home to locate its hive. 

How to breed bees in Minecraft

Holding a flower attracts the attention of nearby bees and encourages them to follow you. You can use any flower for breeding (including Wither Roses, but they damage bees when they try to pollinate them). Hand them over by equipping the flower and right-clicking on a nearby bee to give it to them. Once they display love hearts above their heads they will pair up to breed, providing you with a bouncing new baby bee. 

There’s a five-minute cooldown on breeding, so consider farming more flowers or honey while you wait. That said, as you expand your brood, you’ll have your work cut out with crafting enough Beehives to house them all.

New bees usually take one in-game day (20 minutes) to mature. This process can be accelerated by feeding the baby bees flowers, as you did with their parents. Each consumed flower speeds up their growth by 10%—all the more reason to indulge in some therapeutic flower picking.

What do bees eat in Minecraft?

As you see your friendly neighborhood insects toiling away, you'll probably be wondering what kind of sustenance they enjoy. In that case, bees are known to eat honey blocks, if placed near a hive or nest. The blocks are also perfect for parkour, apparently.