When I first hung it I noticed that the smaller base caused dripping in moderate winds and even if it did not drip the ports were either wet or sticky. Yesterday I noticed a big bumble bee on the feeder. Not drinking from the sticky ports, but sticking it's nose in the slot and drinking right from the sugar water. Today after seeing it again I replaced it with a Yankee Droll 4 port saucer feeder.

Last year I complained about the 2nd generation 1st nature allowing bugs into the feeder, I think they missed the boat with this feeder too.

Funny... I hung the Yankee Droll and within a few minutes the bumble bee was checking it out. It did not get anything and then a hummer came to check it out. The hummer was actually attacking the bee, not just putting on a show. The bee hung around and the hummer went to a crocosima that just went into bloom.

Central NJ
USDA Zone 6
:C)

I have noticed stickyness around the base of mine also. I wasn't sure what had caused it since I never had that problem with the original feeder that I purchased about 3 or 4 yrs. ago. I have enough bases that I can switch them out if I did happen to need them but right now I don't

Penny
NY
USDA hardiness zone 6
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Penny. I was happy to hear you finally got a hummer!

That stickiness is from the evaporation of the water from the sugar water that makes it to the outside. Without all the water it turns into a thick syrupy goop.

Central NJ
USDA Zone 6
:C)

I think my hummer was short lived. I saw him Friday and once or twice early on Saturday but nothing since. He may be an early migrator heading back south. If he shows back up there is a feeder out for him but I am not going to get up at 4:30 in the morning anymore to look for him

Penny
NY
USDA hardiness zone 6
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

I have two first nature feeders hanging at my window one has an original base with oval holes and on the other I switched one of the new feeders bases that have yellow flowers and the hummers prefer the old base. Only when I let the one go empty did they start using the yellow flowered one with any regularity. Today I refilled and switched their positions still the same thing they use they old style first.

Steve
The feeder with the oval ports isn't the original. There was one before that one that has the round ports but no yellow flowers. It has a raised stamped flower design molded into the plastic and that is the one that is the all time best. I don't know why they ever changed the first design.

Penny
NY
USDA hardiness zone 6
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Penny-- I know its not the original original but you know what I mean.

[Old Style]

OH OK, I did think that you thought that the oval port feeder was the original...sorry for jumping the gun.

Penny
NY
USDA hardiness zone 6
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Hello Ken,

Can you post a pic or links to the feeder you are talking about? First Nature has several feeders. Between you, Penny and Steve, I'm clueless as to what feeders they are new? and the original?...

Susan Louise
from Branford CT/ live in Lincoln NE
Zone 5

Hi Susan,

There have been 4 version of the style of First Nature feeders that I am talking about in this thread. Two versions are new to this year as there is a Walmart and a Lowes version.

Here, thanks to Becky, are photos of the 2nd generation oval port feeder compared to the new walmart version. Walmart version has the snap on yellow ports:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/439743/thread/1294431860/last-1296124862/New+First+Nature+Feeders

I cannot find a photo of the 1st generation photo, but if you imagine the 2nd generation feeder with ports the same size as the Walmart version you will get the idea.

You can see the Walmart and Lowes versions in this thread thanks to Steve's excellent photos half way down.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/439743/thread/1303671844/last-1304525201/First+Impressions+of+the+Lowes+First+Nature

The main problem with the Lowes version is that the base is smaller. It is almost an inch smaller in diameter and it is shallower. This causes it to get wet ports from much smaller swings in the wind, or when flipping it to hang. It also makes the sugar water directly accessible to a bumble bees long snout.

I am thinking of an alteration of the new Lowes version to see if it improves things. If it works I will post what I did.



Central NJ
USDA Zone 6
:C)

Susan Louise
Here is a picture of the base of the original First Nature Feeder that I purchased in the spring of 2005. I thought I had gotten it 3 or 4 yrs ago but I went back and looked at some of my old threads and found that I bought it in 2005. It is pretty faded as it was usually the first feeder to be hung in early April and then the rest of the summer. You can see that it has the embossed flower rather than an applied flower. This feeder was a definite keeper for me. In 2008 or 2009 they came out with the enlarged oval ports which allowed bees to access the nectar bowl and then this year they channged the shape of the bottle and used the separate applied yellow flowers



Penny
NY
USDA hardiness zone 6
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Yes, I remember discussing with Lanny about 8-9 years ago that I had some wonderfull glass bottle feeders with vertical holes (This was after he had put out on the web that the best feeders were ones that were easy to clean). Lanny then started pushing saucier feeders and even brands. He let me know that my feeders were bad for hummers because the holes were not slanted or elongated and that a bird might get his beak caught and die. I had no proof to the contrary except that a thousand birds had drank from them with no problems. A couple of years or so later I noticed the slanted and elongated holes in those same feeders. It's difficult with no proof to dispute anything. I just try to go ahead and get the proof! Those are still my favorite feeders. Picked up another 3 of those today (one is 72 oz. and the other 2 are 32 oz. Not many bees, but I did notice a wasp with half his body down in one with the elongated holes of those First Nature feeders.