A Bedford park has become ground zero for the Halifax Regional Municipality's fight against an invasive insect that began wiping out ash trees in a number of Ontario communities more than a decade ago.

The emerald ash borer was first spotted at DeWolfe Park in Bedford in September, and has made its destructive presence known.

"We've already lost three trees here, which is usually an indication there are many more infected," said Crispin Wood, Halifax's superintendent of urban forestry.

Crispin Wood is superintendent of urban forestry with the Halifax Regional Municipality. (CBC)

The beetle, which lays eggs on the bark of ash trees, was recently found in New Brunswick and as far away as Winnipeg. When the eggs hatch, the larvae burrow into the trees and start eating the live tissue.

That prevents sap and nutrients from moving between the branches and the roots. The tree dies once it has been completely girdled.

There are up to 9,000 ash trees in parks and along the streets of HRM, making up about five per cent of the municipality's overall tree inventory. But ash trees make up a larger proportion of trees in newer neighbourhoods.