What is the best way to gather honey in ARK: Survival Evolved?
Gathering honey in ARK: Survival Evolved is an essential task for crafting recipes like Sweet Vegetable Cake, which is used to heal tamed creatures, or for taming certain creatures like the Dire Bear. Honey is primarily obtained from wild beehives, which are found in specific locations across the maps. The process involves careful preparation and execution to avoid the dangers associated with bees and other threats in the area.
To start, you need to locate a wild beehive. These are typically found in redwood forests, on cliffs, or in other elevated areas. Wild beehives are large, hanging structures that emit a buzzing sound and are surrounded by bees. Approaching a beehive without proper preparation will result in the bees attacking you, which can be deadly, especially in the early game. Bees deal significant damage and can quickly overwhelm an unprepared survivor.
The first step is to craft the necessary equipment. You will need a full set of Ghillie Armor, which reduces your visibility to creatures and helps you avoid aggroing the bees. Additionally, you should bring a ranged weapon like a Crossbow or Longneck Rifle with Tranquilizer Arrows or Darts to deal with any aggressive creatures in the area. A strong tamed creature, such as a Carnotaurus or Sabertooth, can also help protect you from predators while you focus on the hive.
Once you have your gear, approach the beehive cautiously. Bees will not attack if you are wearing Ghillie Armor and move slowly. However, if you get too close or disturb the hive, the bees will swarm you. To safely harvest honey, you need to destroy the hive. Use a ranged weapon to shoot the hive from a distance. This will cause it to break and drop a Giant Bee Queen and some honey. The Giant Bee Queen will immediately spawn a swarm of bees to attack you, so be ready to deal with them or retreat quickly.
After destroying the hive, you can tame the Giant Bee Queen by placing Rare Flowers in your last hotbar slot and feeding them to her. Once tamed, she will produce a new hive that you can place in your base. This hive will generate honey over time, allowing you to collect it without the need to hunt wild hives again. To collect honey from your tamed hive, simply interact with it. Be aware that harvesting honey will aggro the bees, so wear Ghillie Armor or use a tamed creature to protect yourself.
For solo players, the process can be more challenging due to the lack of backup. It is crucial to scout the area thoroughly before engaging a hive to ensure there are no additional threats nearby. Using a flying mount like an Argentavis or Pteranodon can help you reach hives in hard-to-access locations and provide a quick escape if things go wrong. For tribes, coordinating with teammates to distract or eliminate threats while one person handles the hive can make the process much smoother.
Common mistakes include approaching a hive without Ghillie Armor, which will result in immediate aggression from the bees. Another mistake is not bringing enough supplies, such as Rare Flowers for taming or healing items to recover from bee stings. Additionally, failing to clear the area of predators before engaging the hive can lead to being overwhelmed by multiple threats.
Advanced techniques involve using tamed creatures to tank bee attacks while you focus on the hive. For example, a high-health creature like a Rex or Spino can absorb the damage while you destroy the hive or tame the queen. Another optimization is to set up a small outpost near a hive location with storage and crafting stations to streamline the process of gathering and taming.
In summary, gathering honey in ARK requires careful preparation, including crafting Ghillie Armor, bringing ranged weapons, and using tamed creatures for protection. Destroying wild hives and taming the Giant Bee Queen is the most efficient way to obtain a steady supply of honey. Solo players should prioritize safety and mobility, while tribes can coordinate to handle threats more effectively. Avoiding common mistakes and using advanced techniques will ensure a successful honey-gathering operation.
To start, you need to locate a wild beehive. These are typically found in redwood forests, on cliffs, or in other elevated areas. Wild beehives are large, hanging structures that emit a buzzing sound and are surrounded by bees. Approaching a beehive without proper preparation will result in the bees attacking you, which can be deadly, especially in the early game. Bees deal significant damage and can quickly overwhelm an unprepared survivor.
The first step is to craft the necessary equipment. You will need a full set of Ghillie Armor, which reduces your visibility to creatures and helps you avoid aggroing the bees. Additionally, you should bring a ranged weapon like a Crossbow or Longneck Rifle with Tranquilizer Arrows or Darts to deal with any aggressive creatures in the area. A strong tamed creature, such as a Carnotaurus or Sabertooth, can also help protect you from predators while you focus on the hive.
Once you have your gear, approach the beehive cautiously. Bees will not attack if you are wearing Ghillie Armor and move slowly. However, if you get too close or disturb the hive, the bees will swarm you. To safely harvest honey, you need to destroy the hive. Use a ranged weapon to shoot the hive from a distance. This will cause it to break and drop a Giant Bee Queen and some honey. The Giant Bee Queen will immediately spawn a swarm of bees to attack you, so be ready to deal with them or retreat quickly.
After destroying the hive, you can tame the Giant Bee Queen by placing Rare Flowers in your last hotbar slot and feeding them to her. Once tamed, she will produce a new hive that you can place in your base. This hive will generate honey over time, allowing you to collect it without the need to hunt wild hives again. To collect honey from your tamed hive, simply interact with it. Be aware that harvesting honey will aggro the bees, so wear Ghillie Armor or use a tamed creature to protect yourself.
For solo players, the process can be more challenging due to the lack of backup. It is crucial to scout the area thoroughly before engaging a hive to ensure there are no additional threats nearby. Using a flying mount like an Argentavis or Pteranodon can help you reach hives in hard-to-access locations and provide a quick escape if things go wrong. For tribes, coordinating with teammates to distract or eliminate threats while one person handles the hive can make the process much smoother.
Common mistakes include approaching a hive without Ghillie Armor, which will result in immediate aggression from the bees. Another mistake is not bringing enough supplies, such as Rare Flowers for taming or healing items to recover from bee stings. Additionally, failing to clear the area of predators before engaging the hive can lead to being overwhelmed by multiple threats.
Advanced techniques involve using tamed creatures to tank bee attacks while you focus on the hive. For example, a high-health creature like a Rex or Spino can absorb the damage while you destroy the hive or tame the queen. Another optimization is to set up a small outpost near a hive location with storage and crafting stations to streamline the process of gathering and taming.
In summary, gathering honey in ARK requires careful preparation, including crafting Ghillie Armor, bringing ranged weapons, and using tamed creatures for protection. Destroying wild hives and taming the Giant Bee Queen is the most efficient way to obtain a steady supply of honey. Solo players should prioritize safety and mobility, while tribes can coordinate to handle threats more effectively. Avoiding common mistakes and using advanced techniques will ensure a successful honey-gathering operation.