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A gardener recently wrote in:

Dear Gardenerd,

My zucchini was extremely prolific until a few weeks ago, now I get a lot of flowers, but they are not turning into zucchini, they just fall off. HELP! What’s the deal with my zuch?

Thank you in advance,
Zesty for Zucchini

Dear Zesty,

I, too, have had trouble with my zucchini this year (yellow crookneck squash and pumpkins as well).  I’ve checked with some other sources and they are experiencing the same thing throughout the U.S.  The problem could be our bee problem.  Not enough pollinators.  While your zucchini may have gotten and rush of them a while ago, the bees may have taken off now that things have warmed up in your neck of the woods.  In a minute, I’ll talk about how you can fix this problem.

My zucchini are setting fruit but withering on the vine, another sign of poor pollination.  It’s also possible that the pollen has become ineffective with the increase in heat.  The bee problem is a big one and scientists are still working to find out exactly why our bee hives are experiencing massive die-off.  In the meanwhile, you can hand pollinate your zucchini to encourage a continued season of bounty.  Here’s a great site that explains how to hand pollinate:

https://www.gardenguides.com/how_2317601_hand-pollinate-zucchini.html

You can also use a paintbrush to transfer pollen from the male to the female flowers.

Another site that has several solutions for similar pollination problems is found at The Pumpkin Nook, which suggests answers to common pollination problems for all squash (i.e. add more phosphorus, check pH levels, watering regularly):

http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/pollenfaq.htm

I hope that helps.  Keep us posted on your progress.