If you have voles, particularly pine voles it is a good ide to put a square of plywood or or a hard plastic plate under the fruit. Thta is especially important for soft skin C.pepo types like Delicata s , acorns. Hard shell C. maximas resist better. I usually leave on the vine until the vines begins to die back, but you can begin harvest as soon as the skin gets hard an tough. Rule of thumb is when you can't cut it with a fingernail.

Thanks, Farmer D! These are all moschata spp, two cheese types and a butternut. I guess a paper plate would be no good because they would chew through when it is wet. We must have something around.

He said plastic. I use pieces of wood (I always have a few in the garage) but also bricks, which I have by the hundreds to hold down hoop houses in winter. you do't really have to cover the whole bottom, just an air gap. They hate to be out in the open.

I knew he said plastic, I only have paper plates on hand and was thinking "out loud" why those would not be a good substitution. ;) Is it hard to balance a big squash on a brick? I may be able to salvage some from next door. I rediscovered the lids to my buckets in the tunnel, so that will take care of 10 fruit.

I use 2/3 bricks per squash.