It doesn't mind full sun and prefers well-drained soil. Herbs often survive when the tender vegetables are getting eaten up during the summer. If the queen appears to slow her pace of laying eggs, the workers will raise more queen larvae in bigger cells with enriched honey. When a new queen or queens emerge, the old queen leaves the hive with a swarm of loyal offspring. Meanwhile, new queens vie for dominance until just one queen remains.
African strains tend to swarm more often.