The latest update for Minecraft: Java Edition’s test server adds bees alongside other useful items and structures. The content is currently only on Minecraft’s test 1.15 version, Snapshot 19W34A.
“What happens when our dev teams spends the summer eating nothing but honey? We get inspired to add a new mob – the flappy fuzzball that is the bee! We also got very sick. A balanced diet is important, kids,” Mojang producer, Adrian Östergård, wrote in the blog update.
Bees aren’t the only new content players can get their hands on in the Snapshot 19W34A version. It also includes bee nests, hives, honeycombs, and funnily enough as of the patch notes, fixed bugs. Hopefully not the bees, we still want those bugs in Minecraft. Bees will be a neutral mob that won’t bother you unless you bother them. If it comes to fisticuffs either on purpose or by accident, the bee will die after using its stinger.
Mojang doesn’t give the player a reason to kill bees as they drop nothing. Some of the common behaviors you’ll see from the bees according to the blog post are,
- Gathering pollen from flowers
- Returning to their nest with pollen
- They help grow crops by carrying pollen
- They don’t like the rain and will hide in their nest.
- You won’t find them wandering around at night when they sleep.
Safe ways to harvest honey from bee nests include using an empty glass bottle on a hive or nest full of honey. There’s no need to hunt bees down when you can safely gather honey without causing any harm. Alongside harvesting honey, players can shear a full-honey hive to gather Honeycomb as well.
