Don’t Worry, the Cape Cod Cicadas Aren’t Coming Just Yet

You’ve probably heard a lot about the cicada invasion happening this summer, but don’t worry, they’re not the ones that take over a portion of Cape Cod.

At least, not yet. Those ones are coming next year.

This year, 15 states and Washington, D.C. are expected to experience the emergence of 13-year cicadas known as Brood XIX and 17-year cicadas dubbed Brood XIII. It’s the first time in 221 years that those two broods have emerged at the same time.

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However, they won’t make it as far north as Massachusetts. That doesn’t mean you won’t see the occasional cicada – there are also types that emerge every year – but it isn’t the massive brood that you get with the “periodical” cicadas.

In 2025, Brood XIV will emerge from the ground on Cape Cod, marking the insects’ first appearance on the Cape since 2008. Check out this video from the last time time around:

Just to put things in perspective, the last time the Cape Cod cicadas took over, George W. Bush was president and Nancy Pelosi had just become the first female Speaker of the House.

In the same month of the height of the cicada emergence, Bob Barker hosted his finale edition of The Price Is Right, The Sopranos ended with the controversial cut to black, and Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” were the hot jams (a thing we said back then) of the moment.

It was also the month when the very first iPhone was released in the United States. So we're talking ancient history here.