As trees take a prominent place in many homes for Christmas, they're also the focus of efforts by the City of Ottawa as they try to stop a destructive and invasive beetle.

Elmvale Acres in east Ottawa is just one of the areas currently fighting the emerald ash borer, with every urban area of the city at risk.

Area resident Beatrice Seal will have the tree that has stood in her yard for almost 50 years cut down after it was infected.

"It's just a tree to somebody, but it's more than a tree to me," she said.

Seal's tree was marked with a red X, meaning it was too infected to be saved.

A green dot means the tree gets an injection of the pesticide treeazine to kill the beetle while it's still a larva.

The city said they're taking steps to make sure those trees are replaced.

"We are also implanting," said David Barkley with Forestry Services of Ottawa. "We're putting new trees in the neighbourhood, so before a big tree needs to be removed a new one is already starting to grow."

The beetle was first found in Ottawa two years ago, believed to have come over from eastern Asia.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says not to move firewood, logs or wood chips from the Ottawa area to surrounding regions to prevent the beetle's spread.

A fine of up to $50,000 is possible if you do.

The City of Ottawa said it expects to cut down about a thousand trees this year, which includes Seal's special yard fixture.

"I hope I'm not here when they cut it down," she said.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Stefanie Masotti