Install the bird feeder pole inside a 3-4 inch PVC pipe. Make sure the feeder is not within jumping distance of a tree. The large diameter PVC pipe will keep the squirrels from getting a grip on the pipe thus keeping them from climbing up.
My feeder hangs on a wrought iron shepherd's hook. I grease the pole with a black moly grease and then press red pepper flakes onto the grease. Local utility used to buy a product whose MSDS basically listed a grease and epoxy compound with capsaicin in it, so I tried this - works well so far unless I get a heavy rain.
I have the same problem. Most of the "squirrel proof" feeders are not.
They merely slow them down. Check this one out. It is the ONLY one I have found that keeps them out. Also found out it is raccoon proof, which is saying a lot. It is a little pricey but when you consider what I spent on other "squirrel proof" feeders, it is not. Good luck.
Bird food is cheap. Squirrel entertainment is fun. Make the feeders difficult for them to get to and watch the antics they go through. Recommended for retiree's.
My wife put up a squirrel feeder once. I told her she was being silly and that "The Lord will provide food for the squirrels." She didn't bat an eye. "I know. He provided me."
End of argument.
I kinda like watching them too. If any animal ever has fun, it's a squirrel.
They are expensive--I have three of them--but well worth the money. I have had for several years and not even the coons can tear them up. Frankly, I think a coon can tear up more, more quickly, than a bear.
We have a squirrel problem. Seems like everyone in the neighborhood feeds them. I guess I'm guilty of that myself as I feed the birds...er I mean the squirrels. I guess I also feed the rats and just about everything else that wanders trough including the deer. Not much hope when you have an orchard and bird feeders. Crows pick the cherries before I can get to them. A neighbor has filbert trees and the blue jays strip them clean as they get ripe. A new neighbor recently moved in from down on the pavement. She planted about $2000 worth of roses. Deer love roses but she thinks they will be fine. Next spring all of those roses will disappear.
I found the only real way to keep them away is to not feed them. Now I'm trying to kill the rat I saw on my bird feeder this morning. I set traps but those traps also catch birds. I made up some rat loads using 357 cases and #7.5 shot. I guess the next step is to shoot the bugger if the trap doesn't work real soon.
I might invest in one of those squirrel proof bird feeders. I have my bird feeder on a 20' wire that keeps most of them off. The air rifle works but I hate shooting squirrels. Critters are just looking for a meal like everyone else I guess and I give them a pass as long as I can.... except the rats. Critter control is an ongoing problem.
I hung some squirrel feeders down the driveway to keep them away from the bird feeders close to the house, that has seemed to work without having to take them out.
A number of years ago I had a squirrel problem. Decided to trap them (havahart live trap) and relocate them.
I'd heard that they are a bit like homing pigeons, so I put green paint on the tails of the squirrels I caught.
Pretty soon squirrels with green paint on their tails started showing up in the traps. Green painted squirrels got a bit of red paint and got relocated.
All my relocations were 5 to 10 miles away.
I resolved to kill any red painted squirrels.
Before the summer was over, I killed over 25 red painted squirrels.