Minecraft’s latest update, Snapshot 19w34a, is the public’s first look into the 1.15 build of the game, and it starts off strong by introducing a new non-playable : the bee.

     Minecraft bees behave similarly to bees in the real world. They are neutral mobs, peaceful to the player unless they are attacked, a trait shared by untamed wolves and zombie pigmen. They die after attacking you once, paralleling how bees die after stinging. Finally, they are attracted to flowers, either actively seeking them out in the wild or following the player if a flower is being held by the player. 

     The creatures themselves are not the only bee-related addition, however. Bee Nests are a new block that spawns in Plains, Sunflower Plains, and Flower Forests biomes. They house bees like a real-life hive, making them the first block that stores enemies. Bees leave their hives to collect pollen from nearby flowers, then return back.

When a pollen-covered bee returns to its hive, it increases its honey value. If you use the Shears item on a hive at maximum honey, it drops honeycombs, which can be used to craft Bee Hives, which are functionally the same as Nests. If a Bottle is used instead, you get honey, which you can drink for six hunger points or use in a crafting table to get three sugars.

There’s one more feature in 19w34a: If you activate a Dispenser with an Empty Bottle underwater or with a Bee Hive covering the front, the bottle in the Dispenser will change to a Water Bottle or Honey Bottle respectively. 

More information on Minecraft 1.15 will be revealed during the MINECON Live 2019 livestream on Sept. 28.