Rats Around the House in Winter: What We See in Hopkinsville and Bowling Green
Published Updated
By John Stopka, Co-Founder & CEO · Reviewed by John Stopka
Mice get most of the attention this time of year, and for good reason. But every November we also start getting a different kind of call. Somebody in Hopkinsville walks out to feed the chickens and finds a hole dug under the coop. A homeowner in Bowling Green notices the dog food bag in the garage has been chewed open from the bottom, and the droppings next to it are a lot bigger than a mouse's. A farm family out past Pembroke hears something heavy running across the barn loft at night.
That's usually rats. And once the weather turns, they get a lot more interested in the buildings closest to your house.
Why rats move in closer when it gets cold
The rat we deal with most around here is the Norway rat. It's a burrowing rat, so for most of the year it lives in the ground along fence lines, under woodpiles, beneath sheds and along creek banks. Rats don't hibernate. When the fields get cut and the cold sets in, the easy food out in the open dries up, and they go looking for the next best thing.
The next best thing is usually right next to you. Bird seed, chicken feed, pet food, garbage cans, a compost pile, a garden that didn't get cleaned up. Add a warm crawl space or a cluttered garage, and a rat has everything it needs to ride out the winter.
Signs you have rats and not mice
A lot of folks assume it's mice until they see one. Here's how to tell the difference before that happens:
- Droppings. A mouse dropping is about the size of a grain of rice. A rat dropping is closer to a raisin, with blunt ends.
- Burrows. Holes about two to four inches across along a foundation, under a slab, beneath a shed floor or at the base of a fence. Fresh ones have loose dirt pushed out and smooth, packed edges.
- Rub marks. Rats follow the same routes every night, and the oil and dirt on their fur leaves dark smudges along walls, beams and pipes.
- Runways. Worn paths in the grass, usually tight against a building or a fence.
- Gnawing. Chewed corners on doors, bigger chew marks on feed bins, and holes in bags that are larger than what a mouse makes.
- Noise. Mice sound light and scratchy. Rats sound heavier, like something actually walking.
If you're not sure which one you have, our post on telling rats and mice apart goes into more detail.
Where to look around your property
Walk your place on a dry afternoon and check these spots. They're where we find rat activity most often in Hopkinsville, Oak Grove, Bowling Green and Franklin:
- Under sheds and outbuildings. Rats love a floor that sits a few inches off the ground.
- Chicken coops and feed storage. Spilled feed is a buffet. Check the ground under the feeder and the corners of the run.
- Woodpiles and junk piles. Anything stacked on the ground that hasn't moved in months.
- Along the foundation. Look for burrows next to the slab, AC pad or porch steps.
- Garages. Check behind stored items, under shelving and around pet food and bird seed.
- Crawl spaces. Look for torn vapor barrier, droppings on the plastic and gaps around pipes coming through the foundation.
What you can do yourself
There's a good amount you can do on your own to make your place less attractive to rats this winter:
- Store feed and pet food in metal cans with tight lids. Plastic bins work for a while, but rats chew through them.
- Pick up the bird feeder mess. Seed on the ground under a feeder is one of the biggest draws we see. Use a tray or move the feeder away from the house.
- Keep garbage cans closed and off the ground if you can.
- Move woodpiles away from the house and get them up off the ground on a rack.
- Clean up the garden. Fallen fruit, leftover vegetables and tall weeds give rats food and cover.
- Seal gaps. A rat can squeeze through a hole about the size of a quarter. Use hardware cloth, metal flashing or concrete patch. Foam alone won't hold up because rats chew right through it.
- Trap with rat-sized snap traps, not mouse traps. Set them along walls and runways, inside a box or cover if you have kids, pets or chickens around.
When it's time to call
A single rat that wandered into the barn might be something you can handle. But rats breed fast, and by the time you're seeing them during the day, there are usually a lot more you aren't seeing. It's time to call us if you notice:
- More than one burrow, or burrows that keep reopening after you fill them
- Droppings in more than one building
- Chewing on wiring, ductwork or the house itself
- Rats out in daylight
- Trapping for a few weeks without the signs slowing down
Every rodent problem we take on starts with a free inspection. One of our Service Specialists will walk the whole property with you, find the burrows and the ways in, look at what's drawing them, and lay out a plan that fits your place. We do this all over Hopkinsville, Oak Grove, Pembroke, Bowling Green, Franklin, Paducah, Murray and the towns in between.
If you've been finding big droppings or fresh holes around the shed, don't wait until spring to deal with it. Winter is when rats settle in, and it's the best time to get ahead of them.
Call or text 270-564-8077.
When to call a professional
At Liberty Pest Control, all rodent problems start with a free inspection. More on how we handle mice and rats is on our rodent control page and our mice and rats page.
Keep reading: Rats vs Mice: How to Tell Which One You Have.
Common questions
Why do rats move closer to the house in winter?
Rats don't hibernate. When the fields get cut and the cold sets in, the easy food out in the open dries up, and they go looking for the next best thing. The next best thing is usually right next to you. Bird seed, chicken feed, pet food, garbage cans, a compost pile, a garden that didn't get cleaned up.
How can you tell rat droppings from mouse droppings?
A mouse dropping is about the size of a grain of rice. A rat dropping is closer to a raisin, with blunt ends.
Where should you look for rats around the property?
Under sheds and outbuildings, around chicken coops and feed storage, in woodpiles and junk piles, along the foundation, in garages, and in crawl spaces.
When is it time to call about rats?
It's time to call if you notice more than one burrow, or burrows that keep reopening after you fill them, droppings in more than one building, chewing on wiring, ductwork or the house itself, rats out in daylight, or trapping for a few weeks without the signs slowing down.
Sources
- University of Kentucky Entomology. Michael F. Potter. "Control of Mice" (ENTFACT-617). https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef617 (opens in a new tab)
- University of Kentucky Entomology. Michael F. Potter. "How to Pest-Proof Your Home" (ENTFACT-641). https://entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef641 (opens in a new tab)
- University of Illinois Extension. Nicole Dobrosky. "Mouse in the house?" Illinois Wildside, 19 February 2026. https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/illinois-wildside/2026-02-19-mouse-house (opens in a new tab)