YES! Here's what I found: Scott finds a live insect on his ball, which is lying in a bunker. He removes the insect with his fingers and then plays his shot to the green. Is this allowed? No. A live insect is not considered to be adhering to the ball, and is thus a loose impediment (Rule 23). Scott would be allowed to remove the insect if his ball were lying through the green (i.e., in the fairway or rough), but a player may not touch or move a loose impediment lying in a hazard when his ball is in the hazard. Scott is penalized two strokes in stroke play or loss of hole in match play. However, since the insect is animate and capable of moving on its own, a player is allowed to take action, such as waving his hand or a club or a towel, to encourage the insect to move. If the insect moves, there is no penalty as long as the player has not touched the insect or the ground in the bunker, or moved another loose impediment in the bunker. In a water hazard, even a flying insect is technically a loose impediment since the margin of the hazard extends vertically upward (this is not the case in a bunker). But, in equity (Rule 1-4), the player is allowed to swat away the insect. Now What If? Scott finds a live insect crawling on his ball, which is lying in the fairway. He removes the insect, but in the process, he touches the ball. Is he penalized for touching his ball in play? No. A player is penalized one stroke if he purposely touches his ball in play (Rule 18-2a). There is no penalty for touching the ball while removing an insect as long as the player tries not to touch the ball in the process. http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/rules/wtr/hazards/article/0,17742,469590,00.html Also, What is the status of a live insect on a golf ball? Decision 23-1/5 states that a live insect, whether stationary or crawling, is not considered to be adhering to the ball, so it is a loose impediment. If your ball lies through the green, you are allowed to remove the insect by any method, but you are penalized one stroke if the ball moves in the process. There is no penalty for accidentally touching the ball, as long as the ball doesn't move. There is an interesting twist if the ball lies in a hazard. Both the ball and the insect on it are in the hazard, so the player may not touch or move the insect. Clearly, the player may not pick up the insect with his fingers in this case. However, Decision 23-1/5.5 uses common sense in ruling that since the insect is animate and capable of moving on its own, the player may take some action, such as waving his hand, to "shoo" the insect away. http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/rules/rulebyrule/article/0,17742,469360,00.html

No, it is not legal to do that. Unless it is interferring with striking the ball, you may not touch it. You would most likely get a 1 stroke penalty for that.

no

Kill the bug. It would be like dropping a house on your foot. Wont even alter the flight of the ball. Stop putting the ball in the bunker should help to