Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Shame on you Perky-Pet. BEWARE! This feeder not only doesn't attract hummingbirds, it can kill them. I purchased the feeder this summer after reading positive reviews. At the time of my purchase I either missed the other reviews warning about the issue of the galvanized steel base or these reviews weren't posted back then. You can see others have had the issue with the toxicity of the metal base and the adverse reaction it has with hummingbirds. I purchased this particular feeder to replace a feeder that broke when I dropped it. I was drawn to the metal base because it didn't look as cheap and "plasticy" as most models with the standard red, plastic base. Also, I was attracted to the large-mouthed mason jar for easy cleaning. Over the course of 5 months this feeder attracted the same number of hummingbirds but they flew away the instant they tasted the nectar. I make my own nectar using the standard 4:1 water to sugar ratio (no coloring) and have always attracted a large number of hummingbirds. At first I tried changing my nectar recipe and cleaning method but the hummingbirds never fed from the feeder. Then, last week I knew something was wrong when I discovered a DEAD hummingbird beneath the feeder. I went back on Amazon to read warnings of other owners with similar toxicity issues. I feel terrible and want to warn others with this feeder - if hummingbirds aren't feeding; STOP USING THIS FEEDER. Maybe some of us just got a bad production run as other reviewers really like the feeder (I did before I knew about the issue). I feel Perky-Pet owes it's customers an explanation and, more importantly, a warning. Pros Attractive - clean lines, not too ornate, contemporary look Durable - metal base won't crack or break if dropped during cleaning Easy to Clean - wide mason jar makes it easy to clean Capacity - jar holds large quantity of nectar Cons Toxic - metal base creates zinc poisoning resulting in nectar that is harmful to hummingbirds. Death - too much zinc poisoning can kill hummingbirds