Winter squash blossoms

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lparsley Columbus, OH Aug 17, 2010

Something is eating my squash blossoms. The whole thing is bitten off. They are on a fence so it is not a small animal. The picture has an empty stem where there once was a blossom.
Can anyone help?

Thumbnail by lparsley
Post #8046037
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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Aug 21, 2010

In instances such as these, deer can be a prime suspect. If the ground is soft near this fence, check carefully for any hoof imprints in the soil (may be hard to see if the area is covered with grass). Also, have you noticed signs of browsing on terminal tree branches in your yard?

Post #8053370
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lparsley Columbus, OH Aug 24, 2010

Thank you for your response. And your answer makes perfect sense, except there are no deer in the area. Since my initial post, the remaining blossums are not setting fruit, just withering. So discouraging.

Post #8058900
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Linny1 (Linny) Salem, SC(Zone 7b) Aug 24, 2010

Your squash may not be pollinated. I had the same problem with zucchini this summer. A garden center employee told me to take a paint brush and get the pollen off the male plant and put it on the female. You can actually see which is which on zucchini. I don't know about winter squash, but how different could it be? Anyway, when I did that I became the proud parent of a foot long zucchini! Worth a try. Finally, the bees showed up and did their job.

Sorry, I can't help with what's eating the blossoms.

Post #8058976
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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Aug 24, 2010

I'm willing to bet there are some deer in your area--you may not be over-run with them and see them all the time, but I'd be willing to bet they're around and will occasionally come around and nibble something. I couldn't say for sure that they're the culprits behind the nibbled blossoms but I'm not sure you can rule them out.

Post #8059012
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