Growing winter squash always includes a little hand pollination. Though the bees are buzzing, especially in my tomatillos, the bees don't seem to understand how my butternut squash flowers work. Yes, the bees are deep in the female flower, but they show no love for the male flowers, that's where I come in.
First: locate your female flower, look for the one with a fruit attached to it, (see above.)
Second: locate a male flower and remove it from the vine.
Third: insert the male flower into the female flower and pollinate like the dickens, try not to disturb the oh so hard working bees.
Fourth: keep an eye on the female flower. Within a day or two it should wither away and start growing the squash.
Who knew the bees would need a lesson on the birds & the bees! If I'm going to devote this much room to butternut squash, I'd better get more than one this year!