The king only makes himself known when a new queen needs to establish a hive, or when the queen rips herself from her birthing pod, to start off the reproductive cycle. Once the king has mated with the Queen he will leave the hive, for fear of attack from the hive, or even the Queen herself, who will want to protect her eggs from any possible threat. He will search for a place to rest, another queen to mate with, or food until he is needed again.