For years I tried unsuccessfully to keep the squirrels away from the bird feeder. They outwitted every fancy and expensive squirrel-proof feeder I bought. I finally beat them. I hung the feeder out of reach on a long thin nylon cord. It is too slick for the squirrels to grip and too far away for them to reach. Works fine and the squirrels are limited to the spilled seed and peanuts.
I'm trying to picture that.