Beekeeping, honey and hive care
An empty hive needs a real colony. Research opens the equipment; it does not create bees.
Start a hive
- Research GMO apiculture.
- Build a primitive hay or wooden hive shell. Both begin empty.
- Acquire a colony pack from a trader, or combine one young queen and three matching workers at a crafting spot with an Animals 3 worker.
- Select the empty hive, choose Install bee colony, and select the pack and handler.
- Provide suitable temperature and healthy nearby plants. Select the hive to inspect bees, capacity, honey, wax and its growth ring.
Harvest safely
Select an occupied hive and choose Harvest hive, then an Animals 3 handler. At least one whole honey or wax must be ready. Domestic hives begin with manual harvest; their optional automatic setting uses stored-product thresholds. Wild nests remain manual.
Craft a bee smoke can after apiculture, then use Smoke hive. Smoke temporarily calms nearby populated hives. Damage and explosions can break the calm. A beekeeper’s suit protects against this system’s stings and Toxic hive aura; it is not general insect armor.
Improve the colony
Wooden hives accept upgrade kits after Improved hives and Advanced hives research. Primitive hay hives do not accept those kits. Keep the queen/worker requirements in mind before expanding: collecting workers does not supply a new queen.
Use the harvest
Safe honey can supply meals, travel food, mead and selected medicine recipes. Wax supports candles, clothing and other production. Toxic honey is poisonous and is excluded from ordinary safe food recipes. Read the variant before using its products.
Keep exploring
Guide reference: Manual 0.1.190.109, pages 52-54. Settings, recipes and labels can differ in other builds. Check your installed version and item information.