Sims 4 Beekeeping Guide

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Erin Jamieson

Erin Jamieson fell in love with Sims because of the lack of consequences. She's always been one to live on the wild side, but Sims allows her to explore all of the possible outcomes from risky decisions she'd never make in real life. That's half of the fun for her!

Latest posts by Erin Jamieson (see all)

• Sims 4 Guide to Gnomes – Ultimate Guide to Appeasing Gnomes - December 22, 2021
• How to Mentor in Sims 4 - December 8, 2021
• Sims 4 Beekeeping Guide - November 20, 2021

There’s always plenty of debate about what the best Sims 4 expansion packs are. But one that almost always tops lists is the Sims 4: Seasons. Easily one of the most popular expansion packs, Seasons packs so much gameplay that it can easily miss features like beekeeping. But little gameplay features like beekeeping may just guide you through a new way of playing and rediscovering the pack all over again.

One of the favorite pastimes for the Sims 4 community is ranking DLCs, (downloadable content), and Seasons is one of those packs you know will always get a nod. That’s true both within the community and even outside outlets like Screenrant.

It’s no surprise, either. The expansion brings not only seasonal weather but activities, holidays, and gameplay for the family. From inviting others over for Harvestfest to raking up leaves (and even enjoying a new woohoo location) to decorating for Winterfest, the expansion pack is lively, with so much gameplay to explore.

But looking past the holidays and weather, some features are too often underexplored, and in some ways, it’s these little touches that just add to the value of this expansion pack.

So to help you make the most of the Seasons expansion pack, here’s your guide to beekeeping. I’ll tell you all the gameplay this feature has to offer and how to keep your bees happy for high-quality honey and beeswax.

What Do Bees Do in The Sims 4?

Bees in Sims 4 come with the Seasons expansion pack. They are not only challenging and fun to tend to but also quite helpful when used properly. Bees, just in real life, supply honey and beeswax that you can either use or sell. And keeping bees in Sims 4 can give your sims a pastime. I also love keeping bees for an off-the-grid lot or just for a nature-loving sim.

What Can You Do With Beeswax Sims 4?

Beeswax can be collected and sold– but there’s a bonus if you also own the Eco Lifestyle expansion pack. With this pack installed, beeswax can be crafted into candles. These can be sold or simply used in your sims’ households.

What Kind of Candles Can You Make in Sims 4?

This is done through the fabrication skill. The fabrication skill is improved in one of two ways: either by using the fabrication machine or by crafting candles. As your skill improves, you’ll be able to craft more types of candles. The most basic candles only require wax, while more advanced candles require additional ingredients, such as flowers.

At skill levels 1-7, you’ll be able to craft: dipped candles, cylindrical candles, rectangular candles, and carved candles. Skill level 9 unlocks unique candles, all of which impact emotions. These include: Blue Bells of Bliss, Lamenting Lily, Impish Bird of Paradise, Cheerful Chrysanthemum, Rose Romance, Studious Sage, Detail Oriented Daisy, Aura of Death Flower, Tempting Tulip, Orchid Overload, and Snapdragon Swiftness.

All candles will wear down eventually. Giving candles as gifts to other sims is another great idea.

Where Can I Find Honey in Sims 4?

Honey can be collected from bees and sold– but before you plan on selling all your honey, consider that it has other uses too. Perk number one? Unlike other food in Sims 4, honey doesn’t spoil, so you can keep it in your inventory as long as you want. You can also add honey to recipes for a tasty twist. Honey with a cake recipe makes your sims focused too.

But it gets better because honey has healing powers in the Sims 4. If your sims eat honey, any negative temperature buffs will be removed–saving them from both heat exhaustion and freezing to death. So, given the fact that honey won’t spoil, you can carry it around with you during cold or hot months for long days out and keep your sims happy and healthy–no matter what the weather brings.

Are There Any Other Benefits to Keeping Bees in Sims 4?

While beeswax and honey are the top perks of keeping bees in Sims 4, I’d argue there are a few more.

Bees Help Your Garden

Always wanted to have the best garden in Sims 4? Bees can help with that, too. When a bee box is situated near plants, happy bees will pollinate any trees and plants, allowing them to grow more efficiently.

You can Command a Swarm of Bees

This is a higher-level skill– and a powerful one. A sim who has fully bonded with their bees can stock a swarm of bees (odd as it sounds) in their inventory. They can harvest the power of the bees to get themselves in a great mood. But if you’re feeling irritated, you can even send a swarm of bees to an enemy. You can also:

• Send bees as a romantic gift
• Direct them to pollinate specific plants

Beekeeping Adds Fun Gameplay

Beekeeping is a fun and slightly challenging activity. It provides something else to do as a way to celebrate a new season. I love it for telling stories, but also challenges. And speaking of challenges, EA Gamechanger and content creator Lilsimie uploaded a challenge of her own to see if you can get rich from bees in Sims 4.  All told, I recommend giving beekeeping a try at least once if you own Sims 4: Seasons.

How Do You Start Raising Honey Bees?

Convinced? Now’s the time to start raising honey bees in Sims 4. To get started, purchase Bertie’s Bee Box. It’s listed under “Outdoor Activities” in Build/Buy mode, and it retails for a cool 265 simoleons. While technically, you can have as many of these boxes as you want, I highly recommend buying just one until you get your beekeeping skill up. Then feel free to buy more if you want to try to make an unofficial business out of it.

After you’ve placed your bee box, it’s time to get started– that is, if you’ve selected the best season. Keep in mind that bees are entirely dormant and won’t do anything during winter. They are partially active in Spring and Fall but at their best level of productivity in Summer.

Is There a Beekeeping Skill in Sims 4?

beekeeping is unique in that it’s less about actual skill and more about how you bond with your bees and making sure they get the attention they deserve.

How Do You Unlock the Beekeeper Suit?

You don’t need to do anything to unlock the beekeeper suit in Sims 4. Simply click on the bee box and choose to put the beekeeping suit on. The suit will protect you from cold and hot weather, and you can’t get stung. However, you also cannot bond when wearing it– so if you only ever interact with bees with your suit on, you aren’t going to get very far. Yo

How Do You Make Bees Happy in Sims 4?

Keeping bees happy is where you want to start with your beekeeping. Bees have social needs, and, not unlike other sims, those need decay over time, so you need to be attentive as consistently as possible. When you approach the bee box, you’ll have an option to bond with the bees. You may get stung some, but if you’re wise, you can reduce this. Avoid the disturb interaction and try to give them regular attention. You’ll see a relationship meter on the box to let you know who your bonding is going well.

How Do You Calm Bees in Sims 4?

When you click on the bee box, you’ll be given a choice of a few interactions, and all are important to making bees happy and keeping them calm. The following interactions are available:

• Bond With the Bees
• Beekeeper Suit On/ Off
• Collect Honey
• Collect a Swarm
• Disturb the Bees
• Sell your Honey

You need to avoid disturbing bees, which will make them angrier. And bonding with bees is always a plus– the higher your relationship, the less you’ll get stung. Expect that at first, you’ll have to endure some stings as you’re bonding.

But what do you do with agitated bees? There are two steps you can take if they just won’t calm down.

Use Mite Treatment

Occasionally, a termite infestation occurs and wreaks havoc on bees. A termite infestation agitates your bees, so they become angry. Even if you have a great bond, you don’t want to approach angry bees without a beekeeping suit. I recommend applying termite treatment every once in a while as a preventive measure. It only costs 15 simoleons each time. Simply click on the bee box and select the treatment option and watch it work its magic. Expect that you’ll need to apply this treatment on a fairly regular basis. The good news is it’s easy to do and low cost.

Plant a Crocus Flower

A crocus flower is a secret weapon for keeping your bees calm. Plant your flower within 5 tiles, and your bees will remain calm more often than not.

How Do You Get the Crocus Flower in Sims 4?

Luckily, seed packets can be purchased under the Outdoor Activities category in the buy catalog, and they’re mostly pretty cheap. The variety of seed packets have a chance of having crocus flowers, but you can’t buy seed packets that have crocus flower seeds for sure. You’ll just have to take your chances until you come across the correct seeds. You can also cheat if you want to call it that. Head over to the gallery and search for a garden-based room and see if you can find any with a crocus flower.

How Do You Collect Honey From Bees in Sims 4?

To collect honey, make sure it’s a season where the bees are active– no honey is available during winter while they’re dormant. While you can collect honey in Spring and Fall, the best season to do so is Summer, where bees can produce up to a full bar of honey within 8 hours– though that level of productivity isn’t guaranteed.

Do you Need to Wear a Beekeeping Suit?

Once you’re ready to collect honey, click on the bee box and select to place the beekeeper’s garb on. Even with a great relationship with bees, this is a good way to protect against stings by collecting honey. Next, click on the “Collect Honey” interaction. If it’s not available, wait a little longer and check again.

Why is Honey Quality Poor Sims 4?

So maybe you’re determined to make a side income from collecting honey– or you just want to have honey for baking cakes and to keep sims protected from the weather. But it’s frustrating when you see that your honey is of poor quality. Poor quality is worth a good deal less, but why is it happening? Chances are it’s one of two problems or both:

• Your bees are agitated
• You have a low relationship with your bees

You’ll need to address these issues for them to produce high-quality honey.

How Do you Get Good Quality Honey in Sims 4?

So how do you get good quality, honey? Just by following my advice above. Keep your bees calm by plating a crocus flower nearby and keeping their environment termite-free. Be willing to take a few stings and bond with them until your relationship approaches 25 to 30 percent. Be consistent with your termite treatments and bonding and your bees will gradually reward you with higher quality honey, which retails for around 60 simoleons a jar. It may not be a fortune, but it’s more, and you can also get higher quality honey for your sims’ health.

Sims 4 Beekeeping Mods

Love the beekeeping experience but looking for ways to enhance it? If you play Sims 4 on PC or Mac, you’re in luck. These mods add just a little something extra to help you get the most out of the experience. To install script mods, only ever download from reputable, secure websites. Place your downloaded file under the “Electronic Arts- Sims 4- Mods” folder. You can organize your mods folder with other folders, but the main folder must remain named “Mods.” Always check the creator’s notes to ensure there won’t be conflicts if you have other mods installed, or with other content.

Sims 4 Beekeeping Aspiration

Everyone gets into beekeeping but wish it could be more a part of your sim’s life officially? Alternatively, have you considered working on beekeeping but need some motivation? This mod might be for you. The mod adds a beekeeping aspiration, and it even comes with a custom reward trait (Honey Hotshot). It is a shorter aspiration, with just four levels, but it’s a nice addition. Download Here.

Sims 4 Calm Bees Mod

Yes, there are ways to keep your bees calm in Sims 4: Seasons, but as I mentioned, they’re a bit more indirect. This mod by Little Ms. Sam is a small tweak that adds an interaction to “Calm Bees” when you click on the bee box. Download Here.

Sims 4 Autonomous Beekeeping Club Activity Mod

Own Get-Together and always wanted to make beekeeping a part of your custom club? This mod makes that simple by replacing the regular interactions with the bee box for an easy new activity to help sims bond together– by bonding with their bees. Download Here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Beekeeping in Sims 4, in my opinion, is an underutilized gem in a well-loved expansion pack. While it may not be an activity you always play with, it’s one of the many ways you can make the most of the seasons and simply try something new. Consider making a challenge to see how much money you can make, tie it into rags to riches challenge, or just make it a part of a story.

Final Buying Recommendations

The great thing about Seasons– and all the gameplay features that come with it– is that it naturally syncs with nearly all packs. But if I had to recommend two packs to complement the experience of beekeeping in Sims 4, it would be two expansion packs. Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle is the most obvious, as you can use beeswax to craft candles. The theme of living in an eco-focused way and reducing your environmental footprint fits too. Just be aware that the NAPS (neighborhood action plans) can be a bit buggy.

My second recommendation is Sims 4: Cottage Living. This lovely expansion pack has you living in the English countryside and allows you to live off the land by selling cow’s milk, chicken eggs, and even owning other animals like llamas. The Simple Living lot challenge also comes with which emphasizes using fresh ingredients for your sims’ cooking.