Emerald ash borer found for the first time in Nova Scotia

The emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that has destroyed millions of trees in North America, has been found in Bedford, N.S., according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

“The new finding is a first for Nova Scotia, which is outside of the current areas regulated for emerald ash borer in Canada,” the organization said in a press release Friday.

READ MORE: Invasive Emerald Ash Borer heading to Atlantic Canada, officials concerned over potential impact

“Effective immediately, the movement of all ash material such as logs, branches, and woodchips, and all species of firewood from the affected site, is restricted. The property owners in the affected area have been notified of these restrictions.”

The discovery was made in DeWolf Park earlier this month and trees have been infected, councillor Tim Outhit, who represents the area, said in a phone interview.

The municipal government is expected to announce an inoculation program and a tree-planting program next week, Outhit said.

“My understanding is that that certainly will save or at least prolong the life of a number of these ash trees,” he said regarding the inoculation program.

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Outhit said he has worked with one of the government’s arborists on the plan.

“The CFIA and its partners are conducting additional survey work to determine whether the pest has become established in the area, and if so, the extent of the spread,” the CFIA said.

The beetle is also known as Agrilus planipennis. It has also been discovered in New Brunswick.