Modifying Best-1 Feeders for Safety

17 years ago

Just an alert that may have already appeared on the forum somewhere, however I wasn't able to find it. Be prepared if you go to the link because it ain't pretty :( However, I do understand that for most folks seeing is believing.

I have two of these feeders and they do have the newer perches, however I made the modifications to the ports as suggested. This will be my first year to use these particular feeders so I was thankful to find this out before I started using them.

Ultimately the decision is yours to make and this posting is only for information and safety reasons.

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Comments (10)

hummersteve
17 years ago
Cindra

Yes it has , it fact I entered it not that long ago, but it may not have been on this forum , it may have been on the other HB forum. It doesnt hurt though for those who havent seen it. Personally I wouldnt buy a best 1 even though there has been improvements.
busy_bee_7tn
17 years ago
I was given a Hummzinger that looks an awful lot like that. Do you know if it's OK?
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hummersteve
17 years ago
I dont know which humzinger you have but I have not heard of any problems with humzinger products. I have always liked the looks of humzinger fancy, but its also the most pricey one of the lot I think.
cindra
Original Author
17 years ago
Personally I wouldn't have purchased the Best1 feeders at all IF I had known about this modification to begin with. I did research but never stumbled upon this information until it was to late-and I pondered over this purchase for awhile! Oh well, I have them now, they are modified and I am good to go when the time gets here. I also called the company and ask them to please consider working on their ports now that they have the perch problem resolved. In my way of thinking they only went half way to fixing the problem with their feeders. Course I had to leave my message on their answering machine :(
ladyamity
17 years ago
Before reading here last year about the safety issue of Best feeders, they were the first two feeders I purchased.

As soon as I read here (in a post from last year I can't find now)and saw the photo I immediately took down my feeders and had husband follow the site's directions regarding the modification.

The two Best feeders also had to be modified straight from the box. Seems right around the rim where the threads are, where the bottle screws into the base, there was a lot of leaking of nectar.
Because the sweet nectar seeped out at the threads, the feeders were magnets for bees.
My husband is literally deadly allergic to bees but he was already getting interested in the hummers so we solved the problem with Painters' Tape around the base where the bottle/cup meet.
Painters' Tape because it's not very sticky but just enough to stick to the glass and plastic to prevent the nectar seeping out. We've done this for 6 months now and so far, no more bee magnets.

I've been given gifts of feeders, several large window suction-cup feeders and a couple blown glass feeders, and I've purchased a feeder recommended here by a hummer lover.

The most used, and the feeders that empty the quickest are the Best feeders that we modified.

Photo of Tape at base of feeders--
{{gwi:973094}}
penny1947
17 years ago
The Hummzinger feeders are just fine and safe to use. The problem with the Best 1 feeder was too much distance betweem the perching ring and the feeder. The company has since modified it and you can get a new base from the company (at your own expense. I don't use Best 1 feeders at all.

Penny
jimmyjojo
17 years ago
A WBU store owner told me that the old Best-1 use to have long tubes inside the red nectar tray lid that narrowed. And that's what was trapping and holding their bills and not allowing them to escape. The birds would get exhausted trying to free themselves and then would fall down between the rim and the perch. Like that shown in the picture on Larry's site.
organic_hummingbird1
17 years ago
Gak! I've never even seen these feeders before, and when I saw the picture I was horrified. How can these people who make these 1. call these "Best-1 Feeders" and 2. claim they are easier to clean? The very easiest to clean feeders I've found are the saucer feeders, you just have to make sure they don't have the yellow flowers (what on earth are these feeder makers thinking with using yellow anyway??? -- that's a yellow jacket attractant!) Let me see if I can find a link to these...

Found one... They are all over the place.

I see no reason whatsoever to use the other plastic feeders. I do have a couple of hand blown glass ones, the only problem with them is they tend to leak and attract yellow jackets at that time of the year, but I just take them down then, and there are all kinds of flowers the birds like that are blooming then anyway.

I have given up on any bottle type feeder that doesn't allow adequate cleaning with bottle brushes, so that includes the famous "perky pet" feeder that is the hourglass shape - which is absolutely the worst design in hummingbird feeders, except this best-1 design. The Best-1 feeder looks like it has the same problem with the bottle brush issue.

It really shouldn't take rocket science to figure out how to design a good feeder... but then again, perky pet has red dye added to their nectar too. And that's not a good idea.

Saucers are easy to clean and easy to hang without leaking because you don't have to flip them over, and the hummers love them.
penny1947
17 years ago
The saucer feeders are by far the easiest to clean but there is one company that makes a well designed bottle feeder that is a snap to clean First Nature and it is very affordable. Unfortunately they also make a red sugar water concentrate. I don't buy that but I am sure some people will. Their feeders are available at Wal Mart and some Pet stores.
Penny
cindra
Original Author
17 years ago
I wrote to the manufacture of First Nature Feeders and thought I would share their letter in case anyone is interested. My local Wally World doesn't have them.

Dear Valued Customer,

Some of our distributors for First Nature and NatureÂs Niche are Walmart, Ace, Meijers, Petco, Wild Birds Unlimited, Wild Bird Centers, Duncraft and Academy.

We can sell direct but we sell at suggested retail price as to not under cut our distributors.

The 16 oz hummingbird feeders are 5.96 and the 32 oz hummingbird feeders are 6.98 plus shipping. The 16oz bottle of hummingbird nectar is 4.99 and the 32 oz bottle is 7.99 plus shipping. If you order a full case of six on the 16 oz or 32 oz nectar we will offer you free shipping. To place an order Contact us at 866-792-9590.

I wouldn't waste my money on the nectar but this may be the only way I can get those feeders.

Cindi

Modifying Best-1 Feeders for Safety

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