This Stardew Valley guide delves into the often-overlooked profitability of honey production. Honey is an easily cultivated artisan product with significant earning potential. This guide covers everything from building bee houses to maximizing honey yields and utilizing honey in crafting and gifting. Updated January 9, 2025, to reflect version 1.6 updates.
Bee House Construction:
Honey production begins with the Bee House, unlocked at Farming Level 3. Each Bee House requires:
- 40 Wood
- 8 Coal
- 1 Iron Bar
- 1 Maple Syrup
Bee Houses can also be obtained from the Fall Crops Bundle (Community Center) or the Mayor's Prize Counter. Place Bee Houses outdoors (not in the Greenhouse) for honey production every 3-4 days (year-round on Ginger Island). Harvesting honey with an axe or pickaxe will drop any ready honey.
Flowers and Honey Types:
Proximity to flowers influences honey type and value. Without flowers within five tiles, Bee Houses produce Wild Honey (100g, 140g with Artisan). Nearby flowers (including those in Garden Pots) yield higher-value honey:
| Honey Type | Base Sell Price | Artisan Sell Price |
|---|---|---|
| Tulip Honey | 160g | 224g |
| Blue Jazz Honey | 200g | 280g |
| Sunflower Honey | 260g | 364g |
| Summer Spangle Honey | 280g | 392g |
| Poppy Honey | 380g | 532g |
| Fairy Rose Honey | 680g | 952g |
Honey Uses:
- Selling: Higher-value honeys are best sold directly.
- Mead: Place honey in a Keg to produce Mead. Aging in a Cask increases quality and value:
- Normal: 200g (280g)
- Silver: 250g (350g)
- Gold: 300g (420g)
- Iridium: 400g (560g) (Note: Honey type doesn't affect Mead value; use Wild Honey for maximum profit.)
- Crafting: Wild Honey is used to craft a Warp Totem: Farm (Farming Level 8).
- Gifting: Honey is a liked gift for most villagers (except Maru and Sebastian). Mead is also a popular gift (avoid Penny, Sebastian, and children).
Remember to avoid harvesting flowers before collecting honey to maintain the desired honey type. Maximize your honey empire by strategically planting flowers around your Bee Houses!
