The people of Chicago aren't the only ones who enjoyed last winter's unusually mild weather. The city's rats thrived in the warmth as well.

It's led workers from the Chicago Department of Streets & Sanitation to bait about twice as many rodents as in 2011. General calls within the city for rodent control services between Jan. 1 and Sept. 19 have increased almost 30 percent over the past year—from 17,191 to 22,301, said Anne Sheahan, the department's spokeswoman. In addition, the number of calls reporting urban coyote sightings is booming. Coyotes' main prey are rodents like rats and mice, making it another indicator the rat problem is on the rise.

Incidents within Lake View regarding rats are no exception. But the temperatures aren't the only thing helping rodent populations to soar. They're also getting a boost from unscooped dog poop left on the sidewalk.

Rats aren't exactly what you call foodies—here's where you need to put down your own sandwich—so they'll happily make a meal of errant dog poop. Residents throughout the 32nd ward, which includes a portion of Lake View, call every week with complaints regarding individuals not picking up after their four-legged friends, Ald. Scott Waguespack said.

Let Patch save you time. Get more Lake View stories like these delivered right to your inbox or smartphone with our free newsletter. Fast signup here.

Beyond the fact that this poop paradise attracts rodents, "it's unclean and unsightly," Waguespack noted, specifying that it's "why the majority of people are upset about it."

But baiting those rodents alone will not solve the problem, Sheahan said. "It's interesting because there are so many neighborhoods where there's a big rodent problem, and you go through the alleys and it's very neat and tidy," she said. "But there's dog waste, and that's bringing rodents to the neighborhood."