Question
I had a dreadful problem last year that concerns me. I want to make sure it does not happen again.

Roaches from a neighbor's house appear to have spread into our yard outside. I am afraid they will eventually travel inside our house.

I am so disturbed over this possible threat that I am willing to use anything that will eradicate them. These insects have been with us since prehistoric times.  But I have never had any roach problem and I have no intention of having one now.

I will first try a "organic" method if there is actually such a treatment that kills roaches.  I do not want to repel them. I want them gone and dead.  Please please please help me.  This is horrible.  I can't take another summer like last year.

Answer
P.S.: Metarhizium anisopliae is legally registered for controlling cockroaches by exterminators.
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Yes, Ida, they certainly are creepy.

First things first.

Years ago, while living in Brooklyn, N.Y., I had to deal with indoor German Roaches.  I had never lived with roaches before and I never intend to start.

With a new baby in the house, though, I had to try organic solutions before getting out the Weapons of Mass Destruction.  I purchased and deployed a dozen Roach Motels around the house - little square boxes coated inside with glue.  I also purchased a Family Size container of Boric Acid Powder.  And I vacuumed everywhere - discovering a few Roach Nests under the boxspring in the bedroom among other places.

In 30 days, the problem was solved.  Roaches checked in and they did not check out of the Roach Motels.  Any that crossed the Boric Acid line into or exiting the space were quickly dessicated.  And eggs, droppings and nests were eliminated right into the vacuum cleaner, which was emptied immediately after use.

We ended up with a Mouse problem later that year but that's another story.

With regard to any outdoor Roach problem, this is not usually something we deal with unless we are living in an urban area or you leave Zone 7-8.

Since Roaches are one of those things they say would survive a nuclear holocaust, you just know this is not going to be as easy as evicting them from your house.

Several solutions are proposed from time to time.  In some climates, wild lizards and toads are said to gobble them up with delight.  One individual claims spikes Mole Cricket Bait with a pesticide - which I think could just as easily be less toxic Boric Acid powder.  Then there are those who encourage bird populations by scattering Cracked Corn or Cornpowder around his property; theoretically at least, a bird would be in the middle of pecking at some of that Corn, would notice a stray Roach just passing by, and would switch to protein.  

The website for Georgia-based Do My Own Pest Control
(http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/how-to-get-rid-of-roaches-c-2_104.html) says that not all Roaches are alike, and successful extermination depends on knowing which Roach(es) you have.  They list 6 of the usual suspects.

Wormman (http://www.wormman.com/cat_roaches.cfm), internet purveyor of creepy crawlers and insects for feeding your reptile pets and garden invertebrates, actually breeds Roaches of various sizes and shapes to cater to that crowd.

Some people release pet Mediterranean House Geckos (Hemidactylus turcicus) around their house to control Roaches.  The downside is that like all reptiles, Geckos need very warm living conditions (high 70's at minimum) -- not a problem for the apartment dwellers I know, who all seem to spend their winters with the windows open to survive relentless heating.  And Geckos cannot be papertrained or housebroken, but some people prefer that as the lesser of two evils.

Contrary to some theories, not all birds jump at the sight of a tasty Cockroach.  In the South, certain Owls and Brown-Headed Nuthatches are among the Cockroach Connoisseurs.  But most birds I know, in the Northeast at least, are pickier about their dinner.  Several specialists sell beneficial Steinernema carpocapse Nematodes - parasites that search and destroy German, American and Asian Cockroach larvae.  In the South, Steinernema feltiae nematodes attack American and Asian cockroaches.

Seems to me that the menu here is extensive.  Let me know how it you do - and if you have any other questions.  By the way, I would be surprised if AllExperts does not have an Earth-minded Intelligent Entomologist in its ranks.