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Hummingbird Garden

Help with leaky tube feeder

RoscoePKittykat

18 years ago

Hi Guys,

I'm new to your forum. I tried looking for an answer to my question but I couldn't find one so I'll just ask...I have a very nice blown glass feeder with a rubber stopper & glass feeding tube. The problem is that is that the tube drips very badly from the bottom of the tube. I think the hummer's beaks have worn out the little rubber insert at the bottom of the tube. I have searched the internet and have been unable to find any replacement parts. Cany anyone give me any ideas of what I can use to remedy this situation..My local garden store doesn't carry any replacement parts either...HELP! MY HUMMERS ARE HUNGRY!

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Comments (3)

dutchgirl
18 years ago
It is a known problem with the glass feeders. I have several and eventhough they look beautiful they are not very practical. One suggestion I have had is to fill them 3/4 to full which seems to alleviate a bit as they do not seem to leak as much eventhough they still do. I eventually gave in and bought the more practical feeders i.e. Perky Pet and it has been amazing what a change that feeder does for the hummers as well as to my own happiness by seeing them drink of this feeder.
I now hang my glass blown feeders as art (by removing the feeder tubes) and have about 3 other regular feeders that really feed the hummers.

Agatha
harryshoe zone6 eastern Pennsylvania
18 years ago
I asked the same question this spring. I used a glass feeder last summer and it leaked constantly. It was always covered in ants and bees. Not to mention black mold. It was very hard to clean. Forum members suggested the Hummzinger. This design is much more practical and there is no longer a bee or ant problem.
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In my experience, squirrels can defeat most feeders. The tube feeders you mention work sometimes until the squirrel finds a place where his teeth can reach some small portion of the plastic. Even the metal pole mounted box feeders guaranteed squirrel proof are not. I've seen my squirrels sit on the top and hang over the edge to pick seeds from the tray without tripping the weighted perch. The baffles that mount above the hanging feeders are only temporarily effective. Post mounted feeders set away (11-feet) from anything are the most effective. The post baffle needs to be 5.5-feet high and the feeder cannot hang lower than 5.5-feet. My dad uses safflower seed and hangs his feeders high on a post with a big baffle. This works most of the time for him. He gets doves and cardinals mostly with the safflower. The big birds can sit on his seed savers. I use a metal post with a baffle and (fingers crossed) so far it works fine. I even have a platform feeder hanging on mine. BUT, I have a crazy border collie running amuck thru the yard keeping the squirrels treed. Good luck, those little devils really take a lot of fun out of bird feeding.
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DPallas
18 years ago
Will the replacement tube at the following link fit?

I've found with blown glass feeders that filling them up to just overflowing, then pushing in the stopper so that it fills up too, helps stop dripping until the feeder is nearly empty.

I also had to pull out the glass tubes and turn them around backward from how I bought the feeders. The tube has a longer and shorter leg on each side of the bend. Putting the shorter end into the feeder makes the end toward the bird more horizontal than vertical, and that made a big difference for some reason.

Also, wide temperature variations (+/- 30 degrees) overnight make them leak very badly.

Found a replacement tube here too, but the size isn't stated:
http://www.thebirdshed.com/accessories.html
I've never been able to find just the rubber tips anywhere.

Here is a link that might be useful: hummingbird feeder replacement parts

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