Here is my 2 cents worth of info. The only problem with cross
pollenating (spelling?) is if you were saving seed for next
year. I don't think it will do anything this year. Come to
think of it,the first two I picked this year was a little
tough and didn't taste to good, all the rest have been great.
Norm

First of all, cukes will not cross pollinate with squash of any kind. But if they did, Norm has the right idea. Crossing would affect the SEED genetics, not the veggie quality.

Bitter cucumbers are actually a very common problem, darn it all. For the most part, the reasons are cultural....but climate can have something to do with it, too. A cool growing season is one of the things that can lead to bitter cukes.

Your garden pH should be somewhere around 6.0 to 6.5 for cukes to be happiest. A well-drained soil with plenty of incorporated organic matter is important. Mulch can play a key role in maintaining a consistent soil moisture level, since this is an important factor, too. Proper fertilization at the right time helps your cukes develop all those sugars. Pick them when they're on the young side, as cukes often get bitter if allowed to remain on the vine for too long.

The last factor is plain ol' genetics. Some varieties (including the hybrids) are simply predisposed to bitterness given any little opportunity! I don't know if the Burpee's Burpless is, but I'll look that up when I get a chance. To be on the safe side, select a hybrid that has the word 'sweet' in the name, and you will know that the bitter gene is either absent or recessive to a sweet gene.