Bugs almost expendable (7)
I believe the answer is:
needles
'bugs' is the definition.
(to provoke or annoy someone)
'almost expendable' is the wordplay.
'almost' means to remove the last letter (most of the word but not all of it).
'expendable' becomes 'needless'.
'needless' with its final letter taken away is 'NEEDLES'.
(Other definitions for needles that I've seen before include "Stacks of chalk" , "required by dressmakers?" , "They may play LPs" , "Where a lighthouse is" , "Teases or provokes with knitting implements" .)