▁episode , ▁after ▁the ▁second - season ▁episode ▁" H umb ug " ▁and ▁season ▁three ' s ▁" C ly de ▁Bru ck man ' s ▁Final ▁Re pose ". ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁achieve ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁a ▁co ck ro ach ▁inf est ation , ▁the ▁show ▁used ▁around ▁three ▁hundred ▁co ck ro aches ▁for ▁the ▁episode ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁extremely ▁detailed ▁rub ber ▁co ck ro ach ▁props ▁and ▁" p iles ▁and ▁p iles " ▁of ▁f aux - d ung . ▁The ▁episode ' s ▁title ▁is ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁the ▁famous ▁novel ▁The ▁War ▁of ▁the ▁World s ▁by ▁H . G . ▁Well s , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁its ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁radio ▁adaptation ▁by ▁Or son ▁W elles . ▁The ▁character ▁Dr . ▁Ber en baum ▁is ▁named ▁for ▁ent om ologist ▁May ▁Ber en baum . ▁ ▁Plot ▁ ▁In ▁Miller ' s ▁F alls , ▁Massachusetts , ▁an ▁ex termin ator ▁inspect s ▁the ▁bas ement ▁of ▁Dr . ▁Jeff ▁E cker le , ▁having ▁been ▁h ired ▁to ▁er ad icate ▁a ▁co ck ro ach ▁inf est ation . ▁The ▁ex termin ator ▁sp ray s ▁a ▁ro ach , ▁knock s ▁it ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁ground , ▁and ▁attempts ▁to ▁cr ush ▁it ▁under foot . ▁However , ▁upon ▁doing ▁so , ▁he ▁begins ▁to ▁succ umb ▁to ▁an ap hy la xis , ▁cl utch ing ▁his ▁heart ▁and ▁col laps ing ▁against ▁a ▁wall ,