Songbird EssentialsHummer Helper 12 Inch Hummer Helmet Dome Cover Protects Nectar and Attracts Hummingbirds to Bird Feeders

What I like best about this product is that its size and bright color seems to have attracted more hummingbirds than the number I had coming to my similarly bright red hummingbird feeder alone. But, first, I want to explain how my own hummingbird dome was made easy-to-hang. Mine also came without hardware, but I assumed when it arrived that no hardware was supposed to be included. I’d forgotten about others’ complaints of the issue and had even forgotten that the photo here shows hardware on it!It WAS a problem for me that it arrived with no hardware, but my husband quickly solved that. He simply asked me for a coat hanger. I brought him the type that comes from the cleaners with a white cardboard tube for draping men’s trousers across; the wire for these hangers is much stronger than that used for blouses and shirts. So, I wouldn’t recommend using just any hanger; the lighter-weight ones, in fact, likely would be too weak to hold the dome securely — though that’s not anything we tested. It is, however, a statement he agrees with.My husband cut off a 6” strip of the coat hanger wire which he then bent in half, both actions done with a pair of needle-nose pliers. He was able to get both ends of the wire through the top hole of the dome. Then he began working with the wires underneath the dome, again using the needle-nose pliers to bend perhaps 1” of both wires upward to hold the dome in place. I then told him I needed a hook of some kind to hang the handle of the hummingbird feeder from, so he went back under the dome with the pliers and simply arched one of the ends downward and back up again at the end to create a strong hook. It did not affect that side’s ability to hold the dome in place because just enough of that original side of the wire remained in place when he used the needle-nose pliers to create the first downward turn. His final touch was stretching apart the outer wire and creating a better hanging loop there. Fixing this problem can actually be a mere 5-minute job, depending on your prowess with needle-nose pliers.Back to the Songbird Essentials red hummingbird feeder dome, it’s been such fun to watch the hummingbirds as they adapted to it. (We never went a day, however, without them using the feeder, despite the addition of the dome.). They’re obvious very curious birds because I’ve watched as they’d investigated their new dome. Most of them just crane their necks as they take long looks up inside and along the dome, but others have gone so far as to even explore the outside of it too. My favorite, however, was the hummingbird who flew up into the dome after feeding and flew around inside it!This is one fine dome for my needs! It’s a perfect match to my feeder and seems to be bringing here even more hummingbirds than the numbers who came before. What I’m looking forward to, now, is saving money on the clear, pre-made nectar I use by taking advantage of the extra shade it’s supposed to provide the feeder. I’ve learned, though, just not to fill the feeder’s container to the top, as I did at first, because I’d much rather put less nectar in and change it every other day to make sure it stays palatable to these lovely little creatures!New Post, 8/17/2018: I ordered a second ones of these hummingbird feeder domes, and it arrived today. I remember how I handled the paper guard around the first dome I ordered — which was to quickly remove the paper guard to free the dome. I didn’t bother to look at what it said on the outside of the guard, nor did I bother to inspect the shipping cover at all. I would guess, then, that, by not doing so, I likely threw the brass insert for the dome’s hanging at the top. Today was different. As I prepared the shipping guard for recycling, lo and behold, I found a little plastic bag stapled on the inside of the heavyweight guard paper — and there was my brass hanger and lower attachment piece. We all make mistakes. I’m sure I threw out the hardware for my first order of this wonderful product!New Post, 8-25-18: I found the original packaging for the first dome I’d ordered! It had slipped back behind a dining chair seat, and I hadn’t realized it. I was so excited when I found it because I was hoping that it had the same small plastic bag holding the hanger, stapled to the inside as my second order had. And, YES, it did! I just hadn’t looked for it! They’ve probably been there for almost everyone who ordered this product and then wrote their review here that it came without a hanger. ***Perhaps the manufacturer should post on the ad here at Amazon that the hanger is attached to the cardboard or change their way of packaging?***

Two months passed and I didn’t see a single hummingbird approach my feeder. I hung this up above my feeder and within a few hours there were hummers - I kid you not! Expensive but well worth it!

Good quality, easy assembly.I bought them to protect the feeder from the Arizona sun and block the larger not hummingbirds. I suggest if possible to create a version that extends the dome downward 3 inches as a cylinder to cover more of the feeder.

I haven’t had a squirrel eat from my red bird feeder since this was installed and it’s so pretty too!

it looks nice, it does protect the feeder and it has kept the squirrels off

Somehow the stupid squirrels still managed to destroy the flowers on my hummingbird feeder. It also seemed to keep my hummingbirds away, so disappointed

Keeps rain from soaking seeds

The product was as described and well made but unfortunately it took my local squirrels about 30 seconds to master it. I think the dome may just be too small to deter an adult squirrel. The squirrel hooked its back feet to the top ring, leaned its whole body over the dome, grabbed the feeder with its front paws and pulled itself down.Maybe it could work with a different kind of bird feeder or less determined squirrels.