I'll give up boating and driving the highways, before I worry about killer squash. I know of several that died on rivers and the highways. There is risks involved in everything on this planet. I've practically given up on growing broccoli, brussel sprouts, and head lettuce. Because I know the chemicals it takes to produce it. I deemed it a real risk. I'll buy it from the markets, so I can tell myself they all used nets, instead of sprays. What I don't know can't hurt me. LOL
There is a sizable risk in dumping fresh cow, or chicken manure, on your garden. Many have died from E-Coli poison. If I were to have someone show up tomorrow with a truck load of free manure, I'd unload it right into my garden, and accept the risk. Just too many things to kill me to worry about killer squash.

I use tape to prevent the female flower from opening. Then I remove the pollen stem from a male flower on the same plant or another plant of the same variety and *paint* the center of the female flower after removing the tape.

Something that I remember, when researching bitter melons, which are touted by some as wonder foods (this is in countries where much of the medicine available is alternative medicine), and, while some of those bitter compounds (probably similar to the "toxic squash" compounds) have been proven to be good for you, there were warnings. They said that people with certain conditions, or taking certain medicines, they should greatly reduce, or totally avoid them. Maybe this was the problem with some of those "squash poisonings".

zeuspaul wrote: ↑Sat Jan 16, 2021 4:24 pm I use tape to prevent the female flower from opening. Then I remove the pollen stem from a male flower on the same plant or another plant of the same variety and *paint* the center of the female flower after removing the tape.

How do you choose one of those blossoms to tape shut? Do you tape one that is still green, but getting a little softer, and then you just wait for it to fatten up, and look more orange, pollinate it, then tape it shut again? I like this idea.

I just tape before the flower opens. I don't think it is critical when in the flowering stage but I try to do it shortly before it opens. I do not tape it again after pollinating but there may be some benefit that I am unaware of.