In a message dated 7/27/2008 11:06:49 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
 writes:

Ease of  cleaning means nothing if the birds won't 
use it. My hummingbirds will  hardly touch a 
HummZinger. They much prefer the Perky Pet 
feeders.  (Which are not hard to clean, really - 
just a short soak in bleach  solution.)



I have to agree with Les. 
 
Over the past 20 years or so I have tried almost every newly introduced  
hummer feeder on the market, from window mounted varieties to one that looked  
like a flying saucer and claimed to be easy to clean (it wasn't). And also over  
these same years I have always steadfastly stayed true to (and used) at  least 
1 Perky Pet 4 Fountains feeder. They are more high maintenance than most  
other feeders on the market, requiring diligent cleaning every couple of days in  
typical summer weather. But the payoff is worth it.
 
The store where I buy my feeders and supplies claims that hummers don't  
prefer one feeder over another; it's all in what they get used to, but I  
disagree. Having used most varieties I maintain that (at least in my experience)  they 
really do seem to come more often and more regularly to the Perky Pet 4  
fountains feeder. I think the hummers also find this feeder more readily in the  
spring. On the downside,  they lose sugar solution easily in any sort of  windy 
conditions, and they do need to be cleaned more often, a process which is  
not as easy with this feeder as others. But, as Les says, what good is ease of  
cleaning if your hummers don't use the feeder?
 
Last year I was using 2  PP feeders and one "other" feeder, which  almost 
never had any activity. This summer I am using 2 PP feeders, one at the  back of 
the house near the deck and the other by the side door and porch. Both  are 
getting used heavily right now, with 2 birds at a feeder at times, others  
flying about and chasing each other, some perching in trees waiting their turns.  I 
half-fill each feeder every 2-3 days and clean one at a time so there is  
always one ready and hung. Ants are no longer a problem, as they were earlier in  
the season. 
 
Another plus with the PP feeder, replacement parts can be bought when  
needed. The ant guards become too dirty to use after 1 or 2 seasons. Sometimes  the 
red flowers break or fade and can be replaced. Otherwise this is a great  
feeder, and the hummers seem to agree!
 
Enjoying lots of hummers in s. Carroll County,
Rick Sussman
Woodbine,MD
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