Squirrels are smarter than the makers of this feeder.

No maybe squirrels can't get inside the feeder but they don't have to. All they have to do is shake it or set it to swinging and seed goes all over the place. Then they take what seeds they want out of the resulting mess and leave the rest to rot. They can trash a feeder's worth of seed within a week. I'll be looking for yet another feeder as soon as I can afford it.More detail ...

One of my least favortie hummingbird feeders

The fact that this is one of the most popular hummingbird feeders on the market is mostly due to its wide availability cheap price and gaudy styling rather than its quality. I used these feeders for years before discovering better designs and I came to hate them. The first thing I noticed was that they're hard to clean with too many small parts and hard-to-reach tubes and crevices. It takes way too long to take the feeder apart get all the parts clean and reassemble it.



The next thing that became apparent is that the "bee guards" really don't do a very good job. Honeybees and wasps can't reach the solution through intact guards but some long-tongued bumblebees can and tiny bees just crawl right through the guards (and often right into the bottle!). They're also bright yellow the same color as many bee-pollinated flowers (what was the manufacturer thinking?). The insects really swarm around when the solution oozes out as it's prone to do on warm days (particularly if you refill the bottle with refrigerated solution).



It didn't take long to discover that this feeder is also not very durable. The plastic parts don't hold up to exposure to sunlight becoming brittle and loose over time (more quickly in sunny or high-elevation areas where intense UV light seems to deteriorate the plastic more quickly). The hardened glass bottle is actually the most durable part of this feeder while the bee guards are the first parts to break down. The size is okay though if you've only got one or two hummingbirds visiting you won't want to fill the feeder completely.



The best hummingbird feeders cost about twice as much as this model but they will last at least 10 times as long. The feeders I use most now are the Hummzingers from Aspects and the Droll Yankees LF both saucer-style feeders. For high-traffic times such as late summer I switch to the Nature's Best bottle feeder. I never use anything in my feeders except the solution recommended by all hummingbird experts: sugar water made from 3 to 5 parts water to 1 part white table sugar (do not add food coloring!). This is much more economical and probably also healthier (and tastier) for the birds than overpriced chemical-laced commercial mixes such as Perky Pet's "Instant Nectar." The solution should be changed every 2 to 4 days and the feeder cleaned thoroughly at least once a week no matter what kind of hummingbird feeder you use.More detail ...

A great little feeder

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RPXPG5HQTNV51 I have been pleasantly surprised with this little feeder. As you can see in the video clip the feeder can be filled to the brim with seeds and hold 2 birds and still not fall. In fact I have had two of these feeders on my windows for well over three months and have yet to have them fall off. The birds enjoy eating out of these feeders - despite the fact our cats leap into the window trying to attack them. They provide hours of entertainment.



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Great feeder

I am ordering my second feeder today. I've been using the same one for 3 years now year round because we have hummers all year long in Phoenix. It is still in perfect condition. I like this one because the parts are mostly metal and the sun is brutal here on anything plastic. The only problem I've had with it is aligning the bottom correctly so the nectar doesn't leak out. I've mastered it now so it's not a problem. To avoid breaking the neck off of the jar I soak the unit in warm water for a few minutes before unscrewing. I'm also very careful not to over tighten. I fill it only half way as the birds don't like the food if it's over a few days old especially in warm weather. Here is a trick for cleaning your feeder. Put about 3 Tbls. of white vinegar mixed with two cups of water in the feeder. Add about 1/2 cup of white uncooked rice. (I use a funnel) and shake. The friction from the rice will clean even the dark mold off of the inside. Rinse well before filling.More detail ...

A hummzinger of a feeder

This is a great feeder no doubt. It is the easiest to clean and refill that I've seen. And the bright red makes the hummers go crazy. Mine have become more territorial and they feed more often now.



Initially I had some concerns that the feeder would need to be almost completely full in order for the hummers to be able to extract any nectar (the feeder is rather deep). Turns out the little guys have pretty long tongues so they can reach far into the feeder even when it is close to being empty.



Can't beat the lifetime guarantee.



My only gripe is that small ants can still get inside even with the nectar guard tips in place. In my case the ants are pretty bad even more so than with my last feeder which had basically no protection at all.More detail ...

Not perfect but the best available

I'm still hunting for the perfect feeder. This feeder meets most of my requirements:

1. Reservoir must be glass not plastic. Plastic reservoirs get cloudy always look dirty and seem to breed mold and mildew. Glass is easier to clean - just wash with soapy water. Every couple of times I wash it I add a couple of drops of bleach to the soapy water. Rinse thoroughly with hot water. I've never had a problem with mold buildup in the corners.

2. Must have a perch for the hummers -they prefer it that way.

3. Must have a decent size reservoir to eliminate the need to fill twice daily. When hummers are not quite as active don't fill this one up all the way. Sometimes it should just be filled 1/4 of the way. Ideally this feeder would have a bottle that is slightly smaller. Perhaps a 24 ounce size bottle that is a bit narrower might be better. But then it might heat up more in the sun and begin the habit of growing mold and mildew. This bottle is highly resistant to mold and mildew if cleaned at least once a week.

4. Must be an inverter type to easily see the food level and to hold an adequate amount of food without the need to refill more than every two or three days.

5. Base must be easy to clean without crevices that you can't get to. This is the area where this feeder fails horribly. You cannot disassemble the base and all you can do is wash and rinse.

6. Design of the feeder should not allow Yellow jackets access to the food. Although they may smell it and try to get to it they can't with this feeder - they quickly give up and leave the food for the hummers. The liquid level in the base is too far from the feeding ports for the yellow jackets to reach. The other Perky Pet feeder that I have (the 24 oz with the hourglass shape) is too shallow and the yellow jackets take over the feeder in the late summer months. This feeder is a much better design.

7. The plastic base should be of a high quality non-porous plastic. This feeder meets this requirement.

8. The ports should not be some silly design to look like a flower. This one barely meets this requirement. At least the plastic flowers are flush with the base instead of sticking up like some of the really cheap feeders.

9. Ideally the glass bottle should be easily replaceable. This feeder does not meet this requirement. What I would really like to see is a design where you can use a standard mason jar and the feeder would have some type of easily cleanable adapter. Or how about using a standard 1 quart vinegar bottle? I saw one like this once but wasn't sure if the feeder met my yellow jacket requirements.

Happy hunting for your perfect feeder!More detail ...

You can't buy a better feeder

This feeder is the best I've had and I have had a bunch. It has a huge capacity so you don't have to fill it very often. It is almost impossible for squirrels to stand on and if they manage to get a foothold their weight closes the feeding ports so they can't get anything. You can adjust it to exclude large birds such as starlings and grackles. When it needs to be cleaned you just put it in the dishwasher. When an especially crafty squirrel tried to chew it's way in to my feeder I informed Brome about the damage and they sent me a replacement part for free! Squirrel busters have a lifetime warranty against squirrel damage. I have had mine for about 3 years and couldn't be happier with it. If you only have one bird feeder in your life this should be the one.More detail ...