What are they eating, the seed or the young plants? If the seed then you can use the same 'trick' bulb planters use to deal with squirrels. Lay chicken wire over the seed bed, secure it down with some rocks or earth staples or whatever.

The chicken wire prevents the squirrels from digging the ground beneath it. Either remove it immediately as germination occurs or leave it in place and cut the wires to make room for the growing stalks.

I use an electric fence with wires set at 6 and 12 inches off ground. This setup is primarily for raccoons. However, under the lower wire is a 3 to 4 inch plastic flower bed border specifically for the squirrels. Otherwise, they would simply crawl under the wire.

get a "catch them alive trap" and deport the vermin .

Good luck trying to grow corn in a heavily populated squirrel area. Even if you can get past the plant growing stage, they will steal the corn from the stalks while your back is turned for a minute! I have given up on it. I tried to trap them in the have a heart traps, they didn't even go in to get the bait to my knowledge. Although I did catch a cat twice and an ugly ole possum that barred his teeth at me and it was quite unnerving having to let out of the trap.

I use a motion activated sprinkler:

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As I said, it is motion activated and you can set its sensitivity. It operates on one 9v battery as the power source. I bought it for keeping out the cats but I've seen it hit the squirrels in my garden a couple of times. A lot of times just the noise the sprinkler makes when it goes off will scare away the varmints.

Here is a link that might be useful: Motion Sprinkler

I use a motion activated sprinkler:

{{gwi:25978}}

As I said, it is motion activated and you can set its sensitivity. It operates on one 9v battery as the power source. I bought it for keeping out the cats but I've seen it hit the squirrels in my garden a couple of times. A lot of times just the noise the sprinkler makes when it goes off will scare away the varmints.

Here is a link that might be useful: Motion Sprinkler

Try giving them some of those dried ears of field corn. They'll be distracted from yours and maybe they won't be hungry enough to eat it.

Everyone, thanks for all the suggestions ! I am still debating on trying the corn again this year, nothing like fresh corn on the cob .... I have looked at those motion activated sprinklers advertised in the seed catalogs ... I thought about getting one of those to keep the deer out of my tomatoes and green beans but maybe they would work on the squirrels...

~Iris

Iris, I have many squirrels here with so many oak trees. Since I started spraying everything with "Repels-All" nothing comes near anything. It smells terrible for awhile, but is very, very effective and I don't have to reapply it much. Got it at Lowe's. This is my third season using it.
The first year on the farm, we lost a couple of blocks of corn to racoons (they must have had a wonderful time) we were told to sprinkle hydrated lime around the block and they wouldn't cross it. They didn't and we had wonderful corn. Wonder if it would work on squirrels and you could sprinkle a little over and around your corn seed if you didn't want to try the Repels-All?
Just a thought. Good luck!
Sunny

I'll probably hear about this but they taste good stewed with a nice mix of fresh veggies out of the garden. :)

Pellet gun in the fall. Thin them out a little. Squirrels are smart little critters. once they find some food they will keep coming back until it is gone. Especially in an urban setting where their normal food is scarce.

Lol Bill- I hear ya- my Dad used to put them in a crockpot w/ cream of mushroom soup.

Insect or mammal, a pest is a pest. Squirrels are basically rats with fluffy tails. It's never taken me more than one shot with a hollow point pellet per squirrel. If you buy one, forget the little scope it comes with, just use the iron sights. I've also used rat traps with peanut butter or nuts stuffed in the bait area. I don't like poisons.

As a deterrent, I will surround any areas I need to with a few stakes and poultry wire as a fence. I've had squirrels strip pepper plants clean of their foliage before, not to mention dig up seeds. Some hot pepper plants take months to produce from transplant size. When you consider the cost of time, seeds/plants, and water- the choice is clear in my mind- zero tolerance. Good luck with your corn!