Overview
An Endermite is the by-product of your own transport system. Roughly 5% of thrown ender pearls spawn one where they land, and because it is tiny — 0.3 blocks tall — most players never notice the purple thing chewing at their ankles until it has taken a few points off. It has 8 health, hits for 2 on Normal, and despawns on its own after about two minutes if nothing kills it first, so left alone it is an annoyance rather than a threat. What makes it worth an entry is who hates it. Endermen actively hunt an Endermite, and that is the mechanic every classic enderman farm is built on: put one in a minecart or a boat on a platform in the End, and endermen teleport in from all directions to kill it, queueing into a killing chamber while the Endermite sits safe behind a trapdoor. It is the only practical way to make endermen come to you rather than the other way round. It is quick, low to the ground, and awkward to catch with a sweeping sword strike, so if you want it dead, aim down. It gives 3 experience and drops no items whatsoever.
Bait. An Endermite trapped in a minecart or boat draws endermen from across the loaded area, which is what makes a high-rate ender pearl and experience farm possible in the End.
An endermite is a tiny purple parasite that appears when your ender pearl lands, and it is one of the few mobs endermen will actively attack. That makes it the bait in classic enderman farms: leash or trap an endermite on a platform and endermen teleport in to kill it. Left alone, it despawns after two minutes. It is quick, low, and hard to hit with a sweeping sword.
Endermite is a hostile mob in Minecraft Java Edition 1.21.4. You will need to deal 8 damage — 4 hearts — to kill one. Its attacks do 2 damage on Normal.
Killing one drops 3 experience.
Properties
Endermite has 8 health, which is 4 hearts. It drops up to 3 experience when a player kills it. Its hitbox is 0.4 blocks wide and 0.3 tall, which is what decides whether it fits through a gap or a one-block-high opening.
- Dimension
- Overworld, The Nether, The End
- Added in
- 1.8
Damage by difficulty
Endermite hits for 2 on Easy, 2 on Normal and 3 on Hard — the site's stat strip shows the Normal figure, which is the one most guides quote.
A full set of diamond armour cuts that by up to 80% against a small hit and less against a large one, and Protection IV on all four pieces — 16 EPF — takes a further 64% off what is left.
| Difficulty | Attack damage | Hearts |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 2 | 1 |
| Normal | 2 | 1 |
| Hard | 3 | 1.5 |
Spawns in
Not a natural spawn. Roughly 5% of thrown ender pearls spawn one where they land.
It has no biome restriction, so anywhere in the Overworld / The Nether / The End that meets the light and space conditions is a valid spawn.
- Dimension
- Overworld, The Nether, The End
- Added in
- 1.8
Dimension: Overworld, The Nether, The End · Added in 1.8
How it behaves
The Endermite attacks on sight within its detection range, so light, walls and distance are all valid answers. Most hostile mobs notice you inside about sixteen blocks, though a few — ghasts especially — see very much further.
Killed by a player it drops up to 3 experience; killed any other way it drops none.
Command
In a world with cheats on, this spawns one Endermite where you are standing.
Summon
/summon minecraft:endermite ~ ~ ~Guides and tools that cover this
Frequently asked questions
How do endermites spawn?
About 5% of thrown ender pearls spawn one where the pearl lands. There is no other natural source.
Why do endermen attack endermites?
Endermen treat them as prey, which is exactly why endermite bait is the core of every enderman farm design.
Do endermites despawn?
Yes, after roughly two minutes, unless they are named with a name tag or placed in a minecart or boat.
What do endermites drop?
No items at all, only 3 experience.
How much health does the Endermite have in Minecraft?
The Endermite has 8 health points, which is 4 hearts.
What does the Endermite drop?
It drops no items, only 3 experience.
Where does the Endermite spawn?
Not a natural spawn. Roughly 5% of thrown ender pearls spawn one where they land.
How much damage does Endermite do?
2 on Normal difficulty — 1 hearts — with 2 on Easy and 3 on Hard.
Related pages
How to get it
There is no natural Endermite spawn. About 5% of thrown ender pearls create one at the landing point, and a spawn egg places one directly. Each gives 3 experience, drops nothing, and despawns after roughly 2 minutes.
Tips
- Trap one in a minecart and the Endermite stops despawning, which keeps an enderman farm running indefinitely.
- Name it with a name tag if you use it as farm bait, so it cannot vanish between play sessions.
- Aim downward when fighting: at 0.3 blocks tall it sits below the arc of a normal sword swing.
- Expect one for roughly every twenty pearls thrown, and check behind you after a long-range Enderman escape.