I've got a Perky Pet feeder. http://birdbreath.com/birdcam.html

Is there an easy way to keep it clean? I use a small bottle brush for the glass top. But I can not keep the plastic bottom clean on the inside. I'm afraid to use bleach.





Robert
BirdBreath
"Life from a different point of view"

Robert
I had a feeder similar to what you described and I got rid of it for the same reason. I switched to saucer style feeders, and First Nature brand feeders sold from their website and at Walmart for a lot less because they are so easy to keep clean. The First Nature base come apart in two parts and screws on to the wide mouth bottle both the top and bottom are a piece of cake to clean.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I wasnt able to view the feeder from the link. But I think I have a feeder similar to it. Some people on here have said to soak it in a solution of 2% bleach.

Steve
Martinsville, In
Heat zone 6
Sunset zone 35

I use bleach on all the different types of feeders I have. After washing, bleaching, and rinsing well I just put them aside to dry. I keep extra feeders so I always have some to use while I am cleaning the dirty, moldy ones.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

Thanks for the advice.



We have two that we swap out. I think I'll try the bleach first and definitely look into the First Nature brand. Cleaning moldly feeders is no fun.....

I missed your post Steve about not being able to see it. Are you using a PC or Mac? If Mac, try this - http://birdbreath.com/birdcamapplet.html.

My bad.....

I finally took your advice Penny. They just appeared at Walmart. You're right, they come apart very easily and can easily be cleaned.

Thanks!!!



Robert
BirdBreath
"Life from a different point of view"

Robert and the price isn't bad either.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

You're right Penny. Price IS good!!!!!

It took some time, but guess who showed up today

Robert
BirdBreath
"Life from a different point of view"

That is awsome...congratulations!

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Robert, where are you located?

Dr.JB's is having a sale on their feeders? Does anyone have one? How do you like it?


Jana
Montverde,Florida
USDA zone 9

Jana,

I have some thoughts, pro and con, on the Dr. JB feeder - which may or may not be relevant.

First, on the good side: It's a solidly built product, and I expect it to last, much longer than some of the one-season-wonder cheap feeders out there. The plastic parts are of high quality, the glass jar part is durable.

Moreover, it is a well-designed product from a human perspective (in some respects at least). The wide opening of the glass jar does make it easy to fill without a funnel - although I don't always need a funnel with most other feeders, someone whose hands aren't steady could benefit from that part of the design.

On the downside of the design from a human perspective, I find the base sometimes difficult to snap apart and put together. If the parts aren't lined up just right, they won't "snap", and it takes a reasonable amount of force to push them together. To me, that seems to negate the advantage of the wide mouth, if we assume that feature's designed to appeal to those whose hands are perhaps less steady and not as strong as they once were--a place I hope to be, someday, by the way.

From a hummingbird perspective, there do seem to be some well-thought-out features, including the perch. Long-time hummingbirders may recall that the early models of the "Best 1" feeder were designed in a way that a bird could get trapped between the perching ring and the feeder base (that flaw was corrected in later models); that's just not possible with this feeder.

There's no "ideal" distance between the feeding port and the perch for every location in the US, as a feeder designed to fit a seated Calliope comfortably would be useless for a seated Blue-throated, but this feeder seems to strike a reasonable, if not perfect, balance. When I've seen Ruby-throats at mine, they seem to have to stretch, ever so slightly, to reach the nectar; that surprises me because being a North Carolina company, I'd have thought their product would be ideal for Ruby-throats and perhaps not ideal for larger birds - but my "gut" instinct tells me this feeder would "fit" an Anna's, a Broad-tailed, or a Buff-bellied more comfortably.

I do, however, have one beef with the feeder that is perhaps petty and personal, but so be it: I think it's ugly. The shape is okay, but the teal blue they chose for some of the trim on the feeder is a tint I've never seen in nature, and I don't like the way it stands out as "obviously a feeder".

I've been told, anecdotally, that this color was chosen because it was the favorite color of someone in the inventor's family. If so, that rather undermines the oft-suggested idea that this feeder is purely the product of extensive research as to the ideal design for a feeder - I can't imagine that the teal color adds anything to the attractiveness of the feeder for birds, and it's certainly a repellant for me.

So all in all, it's a mixed bag as far as I'm concerned. I know there are banders who swear by these feeders and use them exclusively. I know there are others who have tried them and can't stand them. For my purposes, I think there are better choices, but I can see there are advantages which might make the feeder the best choice for some.

Kevin Morgan
Baton Rouge, LA