Ball python acts hungry but skipping meals

[Bogertophis]

Sorry, I know how frustrating this is. When you say he's changed homes a few times, are you talking about his own enclosure, or the home his enclosure sits in? Either way, that's enough to freak out snakes, & for me, that explains why now he's nervous about being watched when he eats. Snakes know they're vulnerable when eating, & he's not sure he's safe now. Poor guy...

But other things might also be at work here- like maybe he's being over-fed? What size rats are you feeding, & how often? Have you tried lengthening the time between offering meals?
Have you tried offering smaller rats? Some snakes hesitate to eat larger meals this time of year, because instinctively they know colder temperatures are on the way & they might not have time to digest them.

Unless he's really underweight, skipping a few meals won't hurt anything- in fact, it's "what they do". Some kinds of snakes will eat all winter, others get fussy for several months. My rosy boa is one of those that does a lot of refusing now- but in the wild, this desert snake would be brumating, so it's quite normal that she listens to her instincts & not to me. I don't count...

Any change in the rats you're feeding? A different source, maybe? They can smell & taste different, if so.

At 5 years of age, it's not surprising for male BPs to fast, as I'm sure you know. But it also sounds like at the very least, his home "chaos" should be reigned in- a quieter location might help.

I'm quite sure that snakes do recognize us & feel safer when it's only their familiar human hanging around. Can you blame them? It's not wrong to watch your snake eat, IF they don't seem to mind. But apparently he's not sure who's watching now- he's learned that it's not always someone he knows well & obviously trusts- and remember that he's not identifying you by sight but by scent & touch too. Maybe even your heat signature, who knows?

I don't know of any ways to make rats "more enticing"- I have no recipes for "rat gravy" or "Rat Cordon Bleu". Mostly I think you just have to remain patient, & fix what you can.