The brown spruce longhorn beetle has been discovered at 17 more sites in Halifax and Dartmouth.

That brings the total number of infested sites to 47, including Point Pleasant Park.

The task force will start cutting in Dartmouth on Thursday and for safety reasons, the cutting in the park is being postponed until after the departure of the Tall Ships.

A portable sawmill and incinerator will be set up in the park, near the waterfront.

The eradication program will cost $2 million this year, and is expected to take a few years to complete.

Federal officials say the brown spruce longhorn beetle could devastate the forest industry if left unchecked, but some non-government scientists say the threat has been exaggerated.