[outbackmac]

I have two of the bottle type feeders that you can take apart the bottom and clean out. After doing this i cant get them to quit leaking. they leak where the upper and lower meet or screw together

[Lisa W]

I have never had luck with that type of feeder not leaking, I'm surprised no one has responded yet. If you look further down this forum you should find some discussions on feeders that might be of help.

[Marcelo Allende]

Here in Argentina the same problem occurs with commercial feeders, some have no leaks others yes; sometimes should add less water ( medium capacity) and the problem ends.

[jimforjim]

I'd ditch those bottle-type feeders and get bowl-type feeders; personally I like Hummzingers or Droll Yankees better than others because the flowers are molded on, rather than attached. They never leak and they're far easier to clean. They have a moat in the middle that prevents ants from reaching the feeder ports ... as long as you fill the moat, that is.

BTW, I'm not sure bowl-type feeders are available outside North America. I'm curious to find out if that's really true, as I've never seen them in Central or South America. I've been thinking of taking a few to Brazil in October to give away ... call it hummer promotion! :)

Jim

[Dana Dana]

The one bowl type feeder I found here (margarita glass) is not used by them.
I have a few of the other sort and none of them have leaked at that point. One I like started to leak where the lower part snaps on at the bottom. Some plumbers tape has fixed that problem.

[aveschapines]

Originally Posted by jimforjim

BTW, I'm not sure bowl-type feeders are available outside North America. I'm curious to find out if that's really true, as I've never seen them in Central or South America. I've been thinking of taking a few to Brazil in October to give away ... call it hummer promotion! :)

Jim

Not sure what the bowl-type feeders are, but the only kind I've seen for sale here is a Perky Pet; it has a glass bottle that screws into a red plastic base with the feeding holes in it. I have two and I've been happy with them. The base doesn't come apart but I can get an old toothbrush in there to scrub it out when necessary.

I have been experimenting with a homemade feeder made from a flat tupperware-type box. I poked holes in the top and filled it with nectar; I'm hoping the orioles (Black-Vented all year and Baltimore during winter migration) will find it, and if the Cinnamon-Bellied Flower Piercers used it too I'd be delighted.

[Lisa W]

I buy my bowl type feeder at Wild Birds Unlimited. They don't leek and if you have bee problems you can buy small rubber tips for the inside of the ports that keep the bees out.

[PumaMan]

I hate to sound like a commercial, but I've had Aspect Hummzingers (the bowl type) for several years now and I love them. They never leak, not even when being swung by heavy winds. They've kept their red coloring despite the harsh sun here. They are the easiest to clean. And they hold up. I haven't had one self-destruct yet, even when one fell six feet to the hard ground in the wind. I have four of them, pretty much on all four corners of our house. I did go to the trouble of putting covers over the top of all of them top keep other birds from pooping on the feeders. This just makes cleanup that much easier.

[outbackmac]

i got tired of messing with it and purchased a bowl type and i love it.

[PumaMan]

I have a couple of bottle-type feeders which I no longer use. (Oh, sometimes I fill the 30-oz bottle feeder for the bats.) Mine never leaked but they are harder to keep clean. You need a bottle brush to do the job up right. The bowl feeders are so easy to clean that I clean them every time I fill them -- at the kitchen sink.

[carjug]

Look for a BestOne feeder made in Poteet Texas, I think it is the best feeder on the market.
You can also rig up your own drip feeders from Kikkomann Soy sauce bottles or a myriad of other household rubbish. I have about five home-made feeders out right now.
Most feeders on the market are too big, cheaply made, or hard to clean. If you find some small quality feeders, whip out the plastic and buy a few extra.

[nikiapple]

All bottle feeders are not created equal and there are many types and brands on the market with some working better than others. I would like to know the specific feeder(s) you're referring to. As someone suggested, the saucer-shaped hummingbird feeders work very well with no leaking.

www.wildandwinged.com

[crewl1]

If it leaks it is possibly because the bottle itself has sprung a leak somewhere, possibly along a seam if it is the plastic type and so air is getting into the bottle. I've also found that under certain barometric/temperature conditions leaks will occur due to the air pressure.

Some decent feeders I've found are sold at DollarTree stores.
They use a rounded bottle, are all plastic and the best thing is they only cost a buck, so I buy them by the dozen every so often.

I'm usually running about 4 at a time in my yard at separate locations to keep the fighting to a minimum.

When one starts to leak I chuck it and replace with a new one. They usually last about 6 months before the leaks get bad.