Cockroaches in garden

[SELonOwner]

Since we moved into our home almost a year ago we have been working our way through clearing the massively overgrown garden but whilst doing this have noticed not only is the soil riddled with woodlice, beetles, worms etc but also cockroaches 😬
Last summer unfortunately some made their way into our home so we called in pest controllers who confirmed they were German cockroaches. They believed only a few must have made it into the house and since they've treated it we haven't seen any more indoors.
We hoped the winter would have killed off any outside but unfortunately after some gardening this week I can see loads more.
Has anyone else had this issue and knows what to do to get rid of them? Our garden is pretty large and full of rotting vegetation which we are working our way through clearing (also just had a baby so progress is slow!)
We have tried to keep them away from the house with diatomaceous earth but clearly they are still alive and kicking elsewhere!
Anyone experienced this or knows others who have? I'm itching just thinking about it!

Thanks in advance!!

Hi everyone and @SELonOwner.

Read this with interest as we’ve had the very same. Spotted some last year in Sept. Back this year in August. Just the odd on or two in the house (enough to panic) but then checking outside various ones on windows and doors. When I chopped a tree loads ran out of the green waste bin in the middle of the day, casual as you like.

We have been very confused and the pest control people v unhelpful as they said couldn’t be German cockroaches outside despite being so.

long story short we have finally worked it out thanks to one pest control guy who went digging: they’re Ectobius vittiventris - wood cockroaches. They feed of plant matter, are harmless and have no intersect in human food and indeed can’t survive in the house. They just wander in as they’re attracted to the light.

the bad news is that there probably isn’t lots that can be done about it. They’ll hibernate in the winter and be back next year, more if conditions good, less if not. But totally harmless if annoying.

when weather changes they’ll be gone. Keep the windows shut at night in the meantime.

These look like "amber wood cockroaches" - outdoor and non invasive. We get them outside and occasionally indoors, but only near windows. And they appear a lot in late August/Sep and pretty much disappear for the rest of the year.

OP - yours do look more "German" with their segmented bodies, but as other posters have mentioned there are a number of non invasive species that live outdoors, you'll have less of them if there is less damp, rotting vegetation.

Just came across this thread as our house also has roaches. It started 3 or 4 years ago and a pest controller came out and said they were German roaches (I had saved one in a jar) and that they had probably been attracted by a water leak. However, they have appeared every summer since and they start in June, mainly on a south facing exterior wall. They can fly and apparently German roaches don't or not very well. They look just like the picture you posted. I have a science centre near my home, so this year I will capture one and take it there for an unbiased identification. I suspect they are native tawny or wood roaches as I am also in the south of England, and have a park behind our garden. I did find one in a food cupboard last year, which freaked me out.

We have had this problem for years, definitely coming from the garden and I have thought they are German cockroaches. Also live in south east London. It’s reassuring to think they might be a different sub species. We are thinking of selling and I am paranoid about declaring them, or not declaring them and being sued by the buyer. Will investigate the identification further.
Just to add to the post, have tried many things to get rid of them but as they are outside and neighbour’s garden is very woody and overgrown they always come back in summer. At least there has been a gradual decline in their numbers. Check the door panels of your car when you open them as they like to sneak into the car. Also on a warm night they are attracted to sit on cars.