Hello Ken, Thank you for contacting Droll Yankees. Squirrels are so clever and relentless and it seems sometimes that they�re smarter than most other animals. One of the biggest challenges to feeding wild birds�our own challenge too�is deterring squirrels. We work on a daily basis to create quality products and cultivate good advice that will help us all win this fight. The key to successfully keeping a feeder squirrel-proof is its placement. Squirrels are agile and are able to jump up to 8ft horizontally and 4ft vertically. For this reason, we recommend that feeders be placed 8ft away from any structures that they can climb on so that they do not reach across to access the feeding holes. It can be helpful to trim back and prune any nearby bushes or branches within 12ft of a feeder. We also recommend that feeders be placed higher than 4ft off the ground, preventing the squirrels from jumping and grabbing onto the bottom. If you are using a hook or pole, we recommend that the hook have at least a 16in distance from the pole. Placing a baffle on the pole or having a caged feeder will also help to ensure squirrel-proofing success. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call our Customer Service Department at 1-800-352-9164 and any one of our Customer Service Reps will be happy to assist you. Our hours are 7:30 am � 4:30 pm Mon-Thurs & 7:30 am � 2 pm Fri (EST). We hope this helps you get back to feeding birds, not squirrels!