SweetPeas--That's a great idea! They are persistent little buggers, aren't they.

We had a similar problem but our feeder was on a long ground post(shepard's hook), not hanging off the deck.  We used Pam cooking spray on it and the squirrel sliped off and eventually gave up.  I did ind that Crisco of baccon grease worked better than the pam as far as washing off in the rain.  It keeps them at bay about 3 weeks and we re-apply.

Elizabeth: I think they could launch from that distance! The opaque Lexan is a prototype. We are just testing it for size. Still too small!

Another David: That's a great idea!!! I've been wondering how she grabs the Lexan with her back feet?? She must turn them around....? Weird.

CraftyKat: That's ingenious! The reason I like using the hook is because when it's filling time, I can get to the feeder easier. Sort of like squirrels. ;) I ALMOST bought one of those spring loaded jobs. I saw one at the Wild Bird Food Store but I balked at the $60 price tag. It was a beauty, though. Of course the difference in its price and the cost of feeding these piggy squirrels would probably have been a wash!

I've read about stringing a line and hanging the birdfeeder right in the center, and then filling the line with beads or spools or something similar.  The squirrels aren't supposed to be able to run across the line,  as the beads spin them off.  Might be entertaining, too!

I actually have a feeder that the squirrels don't get into.  It's got a spring-loaded bar that closes the seed off if anything too heavy lands on it.  They try, but they don't get any seed.  More for my birds.

Try putting a rounded lip on the top of the lexan. That way the squirrels won't have anything to grasp.

I've read that bird feeders should be a minimum of 10 feet from anything a squirrel can launch from.

We have had many "squirrel proof" feeders and I have come to believe that there is no such thing.

What about getting a shepard's hook that sits farther off the ledge? That way there is no room for squirrel "extension". Can you bend the current one you have? The glass is just blocking your beautiful view!