Perky-Pet 4 lb Squirrel Resistant Easy Feeder

We have many birds who visit our bird feeders, and this one is our favorite. We have actually purchased 3 over the past 4 yrs. They’re quite sturdy, hold a lot of seed, and the birds like clinging to the cage to access the feeding ports. The top twists on, which we prefer, as we have had them occasionally knocked down by deer and/or raccoons that managed to lift the top off and get to the seed.

First, thank you Amazon for making returns simple. This arrived with the inner plastic tube broken. I took a careful look at the design to determine if it was worth replacing or just returning–conclusion, returned it.
Pros: 1) I really like the simplicity with which this thing comes apart. Not only should it make filling easy, but more importantly cleaning, something that is very needed and very hard to do with most bird feeders. 2) I has feeding holes all the way to the top–something that should allow more birds and keep the seed fresher.
Cons: 1)the inner tube is a cheap, brittle plastic–doesn’t appear to be UV resistent either. I think that means even in the best of worlds this would only last one season. 2) the only “squirrel resistent” design is the metal screening. No weighted springs, no shutters, etc. I think the metal screening would likely simply be a nice holding spot for the squirrels in my neighborhood. Ditto the grackles which are my main plague.

If you actually want to deter squirrels, I strongly recommend buying a very large bottle of cayenne pepper. Mix the pepper with your seeds–be generous. Squirrels have the same receptors for hot and spicy that we do–and they don’t like it. Birds do not have the receptors and hence don’t even notice. After a couple of fillings with Cayenne, the squirrels are trained to stay off. You can then skip the cayenne until the next generation of squirrels.

We purchased this Bird Feeder a few years ago and it finally wore out on us. We wanted another like it. We ordered a couple of others that touted to be “squirrel proof” but not only found that they didn’t work as well but didn’t hold the same amount of bird food as this one. The makers also made a great improvement in this feeder by changing the way that bird food is added. Much better!

SUMMARY: This bird feeder is very well-designed for feeding and cleaning, and I really like it. But there are some design flaws that bring the rating down, particularly, the small plastic extensions that lock the tube in place at the bottom broke after just a few months, and the squirrels were able to eat through the tube. Details are below.

Here is the good:

– It has multiple ports up and down the tube so many birds can access the seed.

– The birds seem to like the challenge of clinging to the wire cage to get the seed; this feeder attracted more birds than my previous feeders with perches.

– The bottom opens up for cleaning. This is a major plus, since the dust from sunflower seed accumulates on the bottom and after a while will block the bottom ports. Opening up the tube from the bottom makes it so easy to remove the dust accumulation. Feeders with stationary floors are difficult to clean on the bottom.

– It’s large enough to hold enough seed for a full day or more.

– The seed is protected from the rain. I’ve had other feeders that were open mesh, and the birds did not like the seed once it got wet and compacted.

– The directions are clear, and show how to remove the cage, slipping it up off the tube for pouring the seed into the top of the tube.

Here is the bad:

The plastic tube that holds the seed locks into place at the bottom with a narrow plastic extension of the tube. A twist of the tube releases the tube from the bottom for cleaning. After just a few months, all the extensions broke, and the tube can no longer be held into the bottom. The only solution was to tape the bottom plate to the tube.

The squirrels managed to subvert every obstacle to the feeder, and one of them not only got to the feeder, but actually ate through the plastic leaving an enormous gash in the side. So it might be squirrel resistant, but it is not squirrel proof, and the cage is no deterrent to the squirrel’s getting to the plastic underneath. They can start opening up the tube by breaking the plastic at the port, and chewing it from there.
I think this is a serious design flaw, particularly when it broke so soon. Without this flaw, the feeder would definitely rate a 5.

This is a great squirrel proof bird feeder. They just gave up.
However, this is a horrible example of engineering as the plastic tube that holds the feed will decay and fall apart in only 18 months due to UV exposure. First it turns yellow, then it cracks on the seams, then it breaks where the bottom attaches to the tube. “Not a big deal” you say? “I’ll just order a new tube!” you say? Think again. Due to “low volume” (!!?) the tube is not available as a replacement part. The manufacturer will honor the 1 year warranty, but that is before the UV rays have destroyed the utility of the feeder.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. 😉 BTW I did buy a second one but only because my better half had to have it. Beautiful, short lasting, junk.