The link below may give you some help as to properly pollinating by hand. I think the key is to use newly opened female flowers. You can probably open the male flowers to collect the pollen.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pollinating squash

Not having much problem with pollinators up here near Bel Air. Last year I had to do some hand pollinating to get some zucchini. Seemed to work fine.

I haven't seen nearly as many bees as I have in years past. In fact just two years ago I remember picking up apples at a house I take care of because the yellow jackets were all over the squashed (squished?) apples, but this year not a one, and this morning I looked and looked and I only found one sleepy lil bee in one of my pumpkin flowers and I find this VERY SCARY, I would think that the lack of bees would be (ahem) all a buzz with the media but ether no one else is noticing or is this just a local thing around only my gardens? have I offended the compost gods by not worshiping them as I used to do?
does anyone know of any school or large group that needs a composting guru? (I do miss composting on a grand scale)
oh, what to do? what to do?
ialbtc

I have actually noticed an INCREASE in bees... Hooray! I have a lot clover in my yard. Earlier this season, all I saw were the huge bumblebees. In the past month, I have noticed honey bees in the clover. They are going crazy on my squashes. As the daughter of a beekeeper, I am very conscious of these pollinators. A friend visited last night and commented on all the pollinators flying around. So, I think bees are making a comeback...at least in Reisterstown, MD.