Outdoor Living : Perky Pet 209 "Our Best" Hummingbird Feeder, 30 oz capacity

Rating: - Fantastic Hummingbird Feeder
I have 4 hummingbird feeders and they are all hanging from a Shepherd's Hook in my yard. I live in Southern California where we have an abundance of hummingbirds right now. Early morning and late evenings we will have 10 or more feeding at a time, with others vying for a spot to feed. I have 2 feeders that hold 1 3/4 cups each that have to be filled every day. The two others are larger feeders that hold 2 1/2 cups each and I fill them every other day. Having this larger feeder with 6 feeding spots is great because now I can feed more hummies and I don't have to refill them as often. I look forward to purchasing several more. I've had feeders in my yard for the last 3 years and only experienced mole once and that was when I was using plastic feeders. Between refills I let each feeder soak in very hot water, no soap. Once a month I let them set for 1 hour in water with a little bleach. I rinse thoroughly so there is no residue. When the glass gets water spots I will soak in water with a little vinegar then the glass looks like new. I make my own nectar: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. I do not add food coloring as this is not good for the birds. I also do not boil my water and if I did I would never have enough time for it to cool when my little hummies are begging for more nectar. I make a quart to a half gallon at a time and keep it in the refrig. I'm always ready for the next refill. My grandkids are always entertained by watching the hummies through the kitchen window. All my guest are entertained as well. During the winter (if you want to call it that in sunny Southern California) I don't get as many hummies, but we've always had them year round. Also, I have never had problems with ants. Once a month I spray the bottom of the Shephards hook that leads up from the ground with cooking oil spray, that way the ants can't climb the pole. Perky Pet 209 "Our Best" Hummingbird Feeder, 30 oz capacity

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Rating: - Best available but doesn't last
Have owned this feeder for three years and the plastic rail around the bottom has busted off due to detioriation from the sunlight. Probably would be worth buying at a lower price.

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Rating: - Best there is, but should be easier to clean
Like many reviewers, it seems I've tried all the feeders and ended up deciding this 30 oz Perky Pet was the best. The hummers prefer this style of feeder and the proportions are the best that can be found (ie angle of the feeding holes, distance of the perch).

Great capacity - perfect for about 1 day with an active yard full of hummers. I use two and sometimes 3 feeders (1/2 -3/4 gallon nectar a day) to keep about 40 hummers happy.

But the downside to this otherwise perfect feeder is the inability to clean the base easily. It doesn't disassemble and you have to use a brush to THOROUGHLY clean it. Anyone who suggests bleach is acceptable is a stark raving lunatic. The slightest residue will quickly kill the little fellers.

For those of you who don't need 32 oz and 6 feeding holes, try Dr JBs product. It is 16 ounce and completely disassembles for cleaning. Not the best design for feeding (perch is too close and feeding angle is too flat), but for birds, they'd rather drink out of a slightly awkward but clean feeder than a perfectly designed but filthy feeder.

The ultimate feeder would be this one, but with a wider mouth jar and a base that completely disassembles for thorough cleaning. Why somebody can't build a better feeder is beyond my understanding. The market is out there, yet the manufacturers seemingly don't have a clue...

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Rating: - Great Hummingbird Feeder
We love this because it really attracts hummers. Plus, it keeps the bigger birds from drinking up all our hummingbird nectar. We had a problem with other hummingbird feeders... big birds were landing and drinking all the nectar and keeping our hummers away. This feeder is the best we've ever purchased!!

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Rating: - I like this feeder
Over the years, I have tried a variety of feeders. This perky pet product is the one I prefer. At the peak, we have from 75 to 100 hummers all day long, We use 8 feeders this size that are replenished daily. 6 feeding ports are not enough. I bored another hole between each of the existing ones, making 12 stations instead of 6. The "hanger cap" has a tendency to come lose, so I put some plumber's teflon tape around the glass screw area before screwing the hanger on. This keeps it more secure. Don't try to screw it on too tight, though. It can split.

Clean before each refill with a soft flexible brush. No soap, no bleach. Use some white vinegar in the washing up water. Vinegar is a natural disinfecting agent that the birds can tolerate. Rinse well.

If the feeder is not emptied within 2 days, dump the remaining liquid, wash the feeder and put out fresh liquid. Stale liquid is bad for the birds.

If you need to keep ants out, put a glob of solid shortening around the hook that the feeder hangs from. Ants will not cross this barrier.

At the end of the season, I run them through the dishwasher, with only a tiny amount of detergent. Then run the dishwasher again on the rinse cycle. Dry thoroughly, place a rolled up piece of paper towel in the glass, and wrap in plastic for the winter.