no SVB on butternut, as they do not have hollow stems, nowhere from the buggers to hide inside. cucumber beetles and squash bugs are the main pests to butternuts. also, leave 'em on your vine till the vines turn brown and die. wash in a 1:10 bleach:water solution, to kill bacteria, dry and store in a cool dry place and they should last a good 5-6 months. check storage regularly, as rotting squash will quickly spread.

Congratulations! Always exciting. I encourage you to wait for a couple of weeks before attempting to force pollinate. It's normal in the early stages of when a squash/melon/cucumber plant starts producing flowers for fruit to abort and for there to be a flush of male and/or female blossoms. Consider it the puberty stage for the plants. The plant needs to mature before it is ready to create fruit. Have faith that nature has genetically programmed everything to happen at the proper time. If you force it too early, you may have less overall production from the plant since the plant's goal is to create seed. If it get's to do this early it will say 'my job is done, no more need to continue producing lot's of fruit'. In the meantime, if you have squash blossoms, eat the blossoms. You decide how you prefer them. Some people get up early to harvest before sunrise so they get squash blossoms before they open for a crisp cone shape. Others like them partially open for cheese stuffings: Recipes for Stuffed Squash Blossoms

I had the same question last year but for different reasons. Anyway I tracked down a variety of zucchini called 'butter blossom'. It was bred for flowers so I think it would be a good variety to start with if you can find it. No one seems to carry it anymore, but maybe someone is saving seeds and has some to spare. I would gladly give you seeds if I had some to spare. Last year I was given a few, but I wasn't able to save pure seeds. I still have a few more seeds I really want to maintain this variety. I think there are other varieties grown for blossoms but I don't know them off the top of my head. Wish I could be of more help. Also last year I remember noticing that the butternut "Burpee's butterbush" had amazingly large male flowers. I never ate any but boy were they big compared to all the other squash I grew.

Lots of us tried this a few years back - and it was really good. it was those darn cookies that created a stir - where to get them - lol. Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis Posted by LoriJean Recipe Summary Difficulty: Medium Prep Time: 30 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes Yield: 8 to 10 servings User Rating: Cook's Note: The no-boil lasagna noodles can be substituted with fresh spinach lasagna sheets. Look for fresh lasagna sheets in the refrigerated section of specialty markets. 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup water 3 amaretti cookies, crumbled 1/4 cup butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 1/2 cups whole milk Pinch nutmeg 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves 12 no-boil lasagna noodles 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese 1/3 cup grated Parmesan Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times. Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving. *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.