First, the pollen on cukes isn't nearly as visible as it is on squash blooms.

Second all sorts of bugs are attracted to the blooms - hundreds of types of tiny flies, tiny wasps, even ants for starters - and many are potential pollinators that are as effective as bees. So we can't just assume they are doing damage.

The primary threat to cukes are thrips and cucumber beetles. Your description doesn't really match either but it would be worth it to you to know what they look like. I suppose a stripped cuke beetle could look all back as their yellow strip would blend in with the flower but they don't look like splinters.

See pics below and then take a much closer look at the bug you have.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Cuke beetles pics

Thank you for the info, I was able to research it from your suggestions. It is some type of flower thrip. I'm not sure about buying mites to control them. I've read about sticky yellow papers and I think I will give them a try.

I am having the same problem when it comes to hand pollinating. I tried it with the one male bloom I had and I didn't see any pollen on it. I continued doing what all the tutorials told me to do anyway, and still haven't seen any change in size of the female cucumber ovary things!

When I first started, I thought that the pollen would be on the tuft in the middle. The tuft looked like anthers to me, but I disected a few flowers and found that most of the pollen was further down inside. On what looks like circular ribs. I think you will have to take one apart to really see what I mean.

It does tend to be deeper. As the bloom ages it falls down into the cup of the bloom. That's why I find a small fine-haired paint brush works best. Some suggest a Q-tip but I find it harder to get the pollen off the Q-tip.

Dave

The sticky yellow paper will trap all though. It sounds like in the US there is a real problem with bee reduction, seems a common theme in a lot of the posts I've been reading here. If they do visit your garden, they too may end up getting "stuck".

I'm glad I don't have to hand pollinate my squash or cucumbers. Right now I am having a hard time giving enough away. I haven't seen many bees this year but I have something pollinating my plants. You will probably have the same thing even if you don't see any bees. Once the plants get started they should take off and you won't have to worry about them.