Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 67
 No more bees, no drips, a snap to clean! September 28, 2006
Juniper Nichols (Santa Cruz, CA United States)
55 out of 55 found this review helpful
I initially bought a classic "perky pet" feeder, with the glass jar draining down into several feeding "flowers." Despite the bee guards, I often saw yellowjackets hovering around it. They squeezed themselves along the underside of the bee guards to get dribbles that leaked out of the flowers. Also, I learned that bees are drawn to yellow (the color of the plastic flowers). I'm sure ants would have found the dribbles before long, as well - there were even splatters on my deck.
Also, there was no way to be sure the plastic base was really clean when I refilled it. I've heard you can poison hummers with fungus, if the feeders are not cleaned thoroughly every 3-4 days. Fungus just loves sugar water.
I looked at some hummingbird afficionado sites and apparently the hummzinger models are the way to go. The simple construction is very easy to scrub out; no hidden recesses for fungus to grow. There is no yellow on it, so less attractive to bees. I have not seen one yellowjacket since installing this! No drips, and bees can't reach nectar through the openings.
It should be refilled even when it is not empty, both because of fungus growth (I have found fungus after waiting too long), and also because it seems a bit deep for hummers to reach the bottom, unless they are a long-billed variety. (I have Anna's hummers).
I had some trouble getting the lid off for cleaning, untill I realized I could just use the brass hanger to push the base down while pulling the lid upwards.
It's worth the frequent cleaning when I can sit in my living room watching the birds enjoy their nectar. This feeder makes the maintenance as easy as possible.
Attracts hummers and easy to clean March 17, 2005
W. Gross (Portland, OR United States)
43 out of 44 found this review helpful
This feeder is very effective at drawing in hummingbirds, probably because it looks like a big, red flower; and it is easy to clean--which other feeders I have tried are not. It also has an effective ant trap, and it doesn't dribble, so it won't attract yellowjackets. A downside is its small capacity, so it's most appropriate for locations that are not overrun with hummingbirds. (If you put out this feeder in Southern Arizona, you'd be refilling it every hour.)
3rd try is the charm August 30, 2006
R. Taylor (United States)
28 out of 28 found this review helpful
After going through a series of hummingbird feeders over the last several years, I have put the other models in the basement and have 2 of these HummZingers up. And here in the NE US in late August I am enjoying "hummingbird wars" outside as 4 or 5 RTHU jockey for time at the feeders.
As other reviewers have observed, this model solves the cleaning, bee, and ant problems inherent in most other designs. They work as advertised and the capacity is more than sufficient for my modest troop of hummers. A very good product.
Best feeder yet! March 3, 2006
Christy (Maryland)
22 out of 22 found this review helpful
I live in Maryland, so I am not overrun with hummers, but I do get around five at my house. Before this feeder, I would just throw the feeder away at the end of the year, it is so hard to get the mold off, and you're not supposed to use soap. This feeder is VERY easy to clean!! A few swipes with a wet paper towel, and you're ready to go!! Also, it is quite windy where I place this feeder, and on windy days, it hardly even moves. Another plus is that it is not glass, so if I were to drop it, or a squirrel knocked it down, I don't have shattered glass to clean up. I like that I had a choice in the number of ports because I don't get many hummers. It holds up to 8 oz, I usually only put in about 4 oz, so I don't have to have a lot of nectar on hand. If I were to attract more, I could get one with more ports that could hold more nectar. I've had a number of feeders, and this is my favorite by far!!
THE BEST Hummingbird Feeder!!!!! January 20, 2008
Patricia Sutton (Cape May, NJ)
20 out of 20 found this review helpful
Author of the Peterson Hummingbird field guide, Sheri Williamson, consulted on the creation of this feeder. And it shows! Everything is thought out so that THIS feeder is THE VERY BEST hummingbird feeder available. Bees are attracted to yellow, so NO yellow on this feeder. Design enables hummingbirds (with their long bills) to feed, but no bees and wasps (which is not the case with feeders that look like upside down dish detergent bottles, where the nectar is right there and easily available to bees & wasps). Correct solution is printed inside the lid, so you can't forget: 1 part sugar and 4 parts water -- NO RED DYE. Yes, that's all you need to put into a hummingbird feeder. The feeder has enough red on it. Red dye isn't good for us, so why should it be good for hummingbirds? Small size is perfect, since solution should be as fresh as flower nectar. Feeders should be washed & cleaned out thoroughly at least once a week, or every few days in hot weather. With a small feeder like this, you're not wasting lots of sugar water when you dump it (and contributing to more loss of natural habitat to sugar cane fields). Of course when hummingbirds are thick during migration (late June through early August in the NE), feeders may be empty every day. The trick to attracting & holding hummingbirds is to have more than 1 feeder, and place them so that one bossy, territorial male can not see all the feeders and defend them all, keeping other hungry hummingbirds away. 1 feeder = 1 bossy male Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the NE. 5 feeders (scattered around the yard and in your hummingbird garden) will more likely attract nesting hummingbirds and lots of migrants.
Feeders alone are not the key. Nectar (or the correct solution in hummingbird feeders) helps maintain a hummingbird's high metabolism, but hummingbirds can not live on nectar or a sugar solution alone! They also feed heavily on insects (spiders and other soft-bodied insects, like aphids). So, be sure to also garden for hummingbirds, and avoid the use of insecticides! And let the aphids be. Nature will take care of them. Ladybugs and hummingbirds will enjoy your aphid smorgasborg.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 67
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