Losing flowers on zucchini plants

[ducks4you]

I planted my zucchini late this year. Fortunately, I haven't seen a single squash bug or had any vine borers, and all 10 of them are now established and growing beautiful leaves and beautiful yellow flowers. The PROBLEM is that as soon as the flowers are mature it looks like somebody is biting them off and leaving them. If it was a squirrel or rabbit, I would think that the flower, too would be gone.
Do you think it might be cutworms? Any ideas? I'm thinking of crushing egg shells at the base of the plants.

 

[so lucky]

Do they actually look bitten, or is it just that they fell off while still plump and yellow? Can you keep your eye on one that is just opening, and see how long it lasts? Sometimes weird weather--too hot at night or too cold at night will keep things from fruiting. Also, those may be male blooms, and no female ones yet to keep them company, so they give up early. It probably isn't quite that anthropomorphic, come to think of it.

 

[Smart Red]

My first guess would be male flowers. Usually the first to start blooming, they drop quickly as well. Look to see if there are signs of a small fruit at the base of the flowers. Those are the females. If pollinators are few, you might have to play bee yourself if you want fruit.

 

[ducks4you]

Rats. I have seen the small fruit at the bottom of some of those and THEY, TOO have fallen off. I'm at work, but I'll take some pictures this weekend.

 

[Smart Red]

Weather?

 

[ducks4you]

I guess this article agrees with your advice.
http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edi.../why-zucchini-blossoms-fall-off-the-plant.htm
I haven't been able to grow squash for many years. We have been getting a LOT of rain, and really few hot days this summer. It's now in a cycle that will promise a very good hay crop, rain every 5-7 days and a dry out in between. BUT, you walk outside every morning and get wet feet from the heavy dew. Here are some pictures of my plants.




Anybody take a gander how long it may take for me to get some fruit? Thanks!
Btw, I DO have grapes, but my vines are established. Even last winter, bitter cold as it was, didn't prevent fruit, nor did 2012 where we had May weather in March, and then two straight days of freeze in April. The local experts were convinced that nobody was gonna get any grapes--me, too--and then, they grew.

Go figure.

 

[baymule]

Well at least you have some beautiful grapes.

 

[catjac1975]

I think that there is a lot of drop when the plants are young. So time should take care of this. Here I would add lime but I do not know if you need it where you are.

 

[ducks4you]

Do they female flowers come in on a thicker stem? I looked this morning and saw a few buds coming in on stems twice as thick as those with flowers in my pictures.

 

[Smart Red]

The stems are not so much thicker, but where the flower bud is connected will be about twice the diameter of the other stems.