How to wax copper in Minecraft easily

The process of oxidation made its way into Minecraft with the introduction of copper in the 1.17 Caves & Cliffs update.

Like in the real world, copper blocks in Minecraft will oxidize over time as they are exposed to the air. This can be annoying for decorators who use copper, as their desired color scheme can be ruined when the blocks oxidize into their muddled or fully greenish color.

Fortunately, Mojang has provided Minecraft players with a means to protect copper blocks from oxidation by using wax from bees. All players need to do is use a honeycomb on a copper block to turn it into a waxed copper block.

---

Where to find bees and honeycombs in Minecraft

Once Minecraft players have their honeycombs, all they need to do is use them on their copper blocks (Image via Mojang)

In order to get the honeycombs needed to wax their copper blocks, Minecraft players will have to search for bees in different biomes.

Bee nests have a 5% chance of spawning in Minecraft's grassy plains and sunflower plains biomes. They can also be found in flower forest biomes at a spawn rate of 2% (Java Edition) or 3% (Bedrock Edition). They additionally have a 1% chance of spawning in other forested Minecraft biomes.

Once players spot a bee nest, they will need to wait until it has enough honey available. When the bee nest has enough honey, players can use shears to extract the honeycomb. This will upset the local bee population, and they will attack the player on sight. If players have a campfire handy, they can place it underneath the nest in order to prevent the bees from becoming aggressive.

In addition to bee nests, Minecraft players can craft their own beehives by placing three honeycombs in the crafting grid horizontally. They should also place planks of any type in the top and bottom three slots.

Beehives work the same as bee nests. However, unlike the latter, they can be created by the player. This allows Minecrafters to farm a larger number of honeycombs at a time.

Once players have their honeycombs, all they need to do is use them on the copper blocks by activating them while hovering the crosshairs over the block in close proximity. This will protect the copper block from the weathering elements of Minecraft's oxidation.