Customer Reviews

Woodstream/victor 203CP 8-Ounce Glass Hummingbird Feeder

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The fact that this is one of the most popular hummingbird feeders on the market is mostly due to its wide availability, cheap price, and gaudy styling rather than its quality. I used these feeders for years before discovering better designs, and I came to hate them. The first thing I noticed was that they're hard to clean, with too many small parts and hard-to-reach tubes and crevices. It takes way too long to take the feeder apart, get all the parts clean, and reassemble it.

The next thing that became apparent is that the bee guards really don't do a very good job. Honeybees and wasps can't reach the solution, but some long-tongued bumblebees can, and tiny bees just crawl right inside the bee guard (and often right into the bottle!). The insects really swarm around when the solution oozes out, as it's prone to do on warm days (particularly if you refill the bottle with refrigerated solution).

It didn't take long to discover that this feeder is also not very durable. The plastic parts don't hold up to exposure to sunlight, becoming brittle and loose over time (more quickly in sunny or high-elevation areas). The hardened glass bottle is actually the most durable part of this feeder, while the yellow bee guards are the first parts to break down. The size is okay, though if you've only got one or two hummingbirds visiting you won't want to fill the feeder completely.

The best hummingbird feeders cost about twice as much as this model, but they will last at least 10 times as long. The feeders I use now are the Hummzingers from Aspects, the Droll Yankees LF, and the Hummerfest from Nature Products Inc., and the only one I've ever had to retire got a crack in the basin when I dropped it on a sharp rock (it was full at the time - I don't think it would have broken had it been empty). I never use anything in my feeders except the solution recommended by all hummingbird experts: 4 parts water to 1 part white table sugar (do not add food coloring!). This is much more economical and probably also healthier (and tastier) for the birds than chemical-laced commercial mixes. The solution should be changed every 2 to 4 days and the feeder cleaned thoroughly at least once a week, no matter what kind of hummingbird feeder you use.

Hummers love it and the bees can't get in like others I tried before, but the feeder was very difficult to keep clean. It tended to get mold in all those little nooks and crannies (Remember that mold is very bad for the birds - - so please keep them clean). I have purchased replacement guards from PP. Recently, I took the guards off and the bees don't bother it much. Next time I will try a hummingbird feeder that is easy to clean.

I had this hummingbird feeder. The birds used it, but the feeder was very difficult to keep clean. It tended to get mold in all those little nooks and crannies. In hot weather, you need to change the sugar water every 3-4 days. Choose a hummingbird feeder that is easy to clean.

I started with Perky Pet's cheap plastic 8 oz. three "flower" version. Despite their claim it DOES drip so loads of trouble with ants, bees, and wasps. The plastic bottle in particular is not durable - it becomes brittle and cracks easily, rendering the entire unit useless.

I bought this one because it is readily available, attractive, reasonably priced, glass rather than plastic, and I hoped the "bee guards" would solve my critter problem.

This is an OK starter feeder, I guess. But as others have warned: it is finicky to take apart, difficult to clean thoroughly without resorting to environmental toxins like chlorine bleach, and equally finicky to put back together again.

The "bee guards" only work (kinda) until the first puff of wind tips the feeder enough to spill some nectar which pools in the flowers where bees and wasps can get it easily. Even without this problem ... the "bee guards" only keep out our big Mud Daubers ... our local honey bees can get right inside. Before I'd learned all the above, the bees found the feeder and they told all their buddies.

And why oh why does Perky Pet insist on using yellow accents when it is known that bees and wasps are attracted to yellow?!

I have painstakingly painted my "bee guards" red with nail varnish, but the damage is already done ... I had to take in the feeder to get rid of the swarms of bees and my hummingbirds left for greener pastures. :(

This feeder works well, but I'm now looking for a non-plastic feeder. The plastic base has already cracked and made it very difficult to screw the glass container back into. Flimsy product. Try something more long-lasting. This product lasted less than one year and now is only good for the landfill.

Don't understand the problems others mention. Tried other types and only liked this one. No problem cleaning and I live in the hot, humid southest. Dilute some bleach and soak for a while all parts and it comes clean... have advice from hummer-banders that the chlorine won't harm the hummers or affect their nectar. Really recommend this feeder.

I have used Perky-Pet Four Fountain feeders here in southern California for many years with no trouble. I use them year round to feed Anna's and Allen's hummingbirds and orange-crowned warblers, and in the summer they attract the spectacular hooded oriole. Birds prefer the semi-vertical Four Fountain flower ports to the more horizontal ones of other feeders, and the Four Fountain perches are set low so the birds can sit upright instead of having to lean over. A feature I like is that birds can drink this feeder dry, so there is no wasted nectar.

My feeders hang in the sun. The yellow bee guards get brittle quickly and break, but as they don't exclude wasps or house finches and they interfere with the orioles, I don't use them. The feeder's plastic perches and flowers fade and eventually get brittle but only after many years of exposure. Since all my birds prefer feeders with perches to those without, I generally buy new ones when the perches break. The Four Fountain design has not changed for many years, so I can save the old parts that are still good to assemble new feeders. I like this feature.

Cleaning is not hard if you use boiled nectar and clean the feeder every three days. Boiling nectar (then cooling it of course) practically eliminates mold. Even with boiled nectar, the feeder absolutely needs to be emptied and cleaned every three days. I fill a basin with hot water and a tablespoon of good quality dishwashing machine detergent. I disassemble the feeder into the basin, making sure to let all the air out of the glass bottle, and soak it for 20-30 minutes. Then I remove the pieces and soak them in a basin of water with a tablespoon of white vinegar (this step ensures the removal of the detergent). Then rinse and drain. I rarely need to use a bottlebrush.

You can boil nectar in glass jars that have a metal lid with a button, like jam or spaghetti sauce jars. Measure one part table sugar to four parts water (you can make it less concentrated, but more concentrated nectar can cause liver damage to hummingbirds), then place the unlidded jar in the microwave and boil. Carefully grasp the hot glass with a hotpad and screw the lid on. Don not scald yourself. As the jar cools, the button lid will draw down indicating an airtight seal. This sterile nectar will keep for days, but once opened should be refrigerated.

I had trouble getting the hummers to pay much attention to this one until I removed the bee guards. It got a lot of traffic after that.

This particular model Hummingbird feeder is a must for my back yard. We seem to have an abundance of bees and wasps who naturally swarm on the flowers of the feeder. The bee guard flowers keep the bees and wasps away so the hummers can feed. I would be interested in purchasing replacement bee guard flowers but to date cannot locate these without purchasing a whole new feeder.