Why Rat Populations are Exploding in Indiana and Kentucky

Exploding Rat Populations in the Midwest

Pull out your bingo card. I’ve got one for you to mark off: rats… exploding rat populations in the Midwest. Not on your card? Well, welcome to 2026.

Picture it. I’m just minding my own business, scrolling Facebook, when someone posts that rats have become a huge problem in Kentucky. Naturally, I go down the "rat hole."

Confession: I Actually Love Fancy Rats

Full disclosure, I love a fancy rat. Fancy rats are domesticated rats that people keep as pets, and I had one years ago named Gus Gus, aka Ratman. He was the sweetest little guy. He played with the dogs, laid on my lap to watch TV, stole marshmallows, occasionally did some dumpster diving in the trash, and perched on my shoulder so I could scare little kids at Halloween.

He was adorable… except for the tail. No matter how cute they are, the tail is still weird.

These days I have a very prey-driven cat, so I wouldn’t risk it, but I still love watching rat videos. Did you know rats can drive tiny cars? It sounds fake, but it’s real. They can steer, avoid obstacles, and even back up. Evolution really made them incredibly smart.

The Rats Taking Over the Midwest

The rats making headlines right now are not cute little fancy pets. They are what experts call roof rats, meaning rats that live close to humans, where food and shelter are easy to find.

According to Rentokil and its annual “State of the Rodent” report, combined with research from University of Richmond biologist Dr. Jonathan Richardson, rat populations are surging, especially in the Midwest.

• Kentucky saw about a 160% increase
• Indiana saw about a 242% increase

Interestingly, when researchers looked at 16 major cities, including Chicago and Louisville, only a few places actually saw declines, including Louisville.

Why Rats Are a Problem

Now, even though I love a fancy rat, humans can't successfully live alongside urban wild rats. The urban rats carry around 35 communicable diseases, contaminate food, and cause structural damage.

I remember the one time we got a rat in our house growing up. He chewed a GIANT hole in the wall and my mom was furious. At first, she thought my brother threw a baseball through the drywall, but upon further inspection, we figured out it was a rat hole. A little peanut butter on a rat trap and BAM Victor the Rat was no more.

Why Rat Populations Are Exploding

So, why are we seeing these exploding rat populations here in the Midwest? Experts believe it's being caused by a few factors.

Climate Change Is Extending Breeding Seasons

Longer warm seasons lead to longer breeding seasons, which lead to more rat babies, which lead to more adults, which leads to more babies. You get the picture...

And with the sharp changes in weather (you know, like when it's 35 degrees one day, and 85 the next, and then it goes back to 40 degrees) rodents seek long-term stable indoor shelter.

Construction Is Making It Easier for Rats to Get In

Rapid development and fast construction can leave buildings less sealed than they should be. Small gaps, low-quality materials, and rushed work give rats easy entry points. Once inside, they’re protected from harsh winters, which means fewer die off and more survive to reproduce.

Habitat Loss Is Driving Rats Toward Humans

As wooded areas disappear, wildlife gets pushed closer to people. Add in more housing, more trash, more pet food, and more bird feeders, and you’ve basically created the perfect rat paradise.

If you are an 80s kid like me, you probably remember Templeton the Rat's Smorgasbord at the county fair in Charlotte's Web. Classic rat.

Why Indiana and Kentucky?

Now you might be asking yourself, why Indiana and Kentucky? Experts think that this part of the country has the ideal temperature range for rodents. Not too hot, not too cold. Just right. And with rapid urban growth, it has become the perfect storm for the rat baby boom.

How to Keep Rats Away

If you want to avoid your own “Victor the Rat” situation, a few simple steps go a long way.

• Don’t Leave Food Out for Critters
• Feed pets indoors
• Clean up food right away
• Secure trash tightly
• Seal Your Home

Rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter, so:

• Seal cracks and gaps
• Cover vents
• Check around pipes and foundations
• Cut Off Water Sources
• Fix leaky pipes
• Eliminate standing water
• Use Quick Kill or Humane Traps, Not Poison or Glue Traps

If you already have a problem, traps are your best bet. Skip poison and glue traps. They can create bigger issues like dead rats in your walls, or harm to pets or wildlife. Plus, they are both very inhumane. Just because rats are invasive and not a great house guest doesn't mean they deserve to die a horrific death.

Final Thoughts

I'll leave you with one more cut rat video so you aren't creeped out.

Rats really are wonderful pets and are usually available for adoption at Vanderburgh Humane Society and other shelters in the area. Check Petfinder for more.