Two Texas A&M University scientists are tackling one of the biggest threats to monarch butterflies on their fall migration through Texas: death by car.

Why it matters: Monarchs are important pollinators that support our food system and a healthy environment for wildlife and humans, but the eastern migratory population has declined by about 80% since the mid-1990s, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Context: The butterflies head through Texas on their way to Mexico for the winter each year.

Threat level: At least 6% of deaths are due to collisions on Texas roads, Robert Coulson, professor in the Department of Entomology, tells Axios.

What they did: Coulson and James Tracy, postdoctoral research associate, drove thousands of miles collecting butterfly remains and recording their location.

What they found: The resulting map shows how wind patterns and Texas' geography, like hills and canyons, lead the monarchs to areas where they collide with vehicles most often.

State of play: Based on those findings, the team is testing flight diverters, or mesh panels installed near highways that encourage the monarchs to fly higher in vehicle collision hot spots.

• Coulson and team are currently evaluating the diverters at two test sites: In West Texas along Interstate 10 near Ozona, and at the Lavaca Bay Causeway near Victoria.

Stunning stat: Early results at the Ozona site show that the diverters cut monarch deaths in half during the fall migration.

What they're saying: Texas is "absolutely fundamental" to monarchs' spring and fall migration, Coulson says, as the butterflies seek out trees to rest in.

What's next: Funding for the research ends next August. Coulson says the team will release an evaluation of the diverters that could determine whether more are installed.

💭 Megan's thought bubble: I drove through Ozona last year on my way to Big Bend National Park, and was struck by the large amount of monarch roadkill on my car.

• I remember stopping at a gas station, myself and others all pausing to look at our car grills. It was a surreal moment of collective guilt.
• But perhaps that can change in the future.

The San Antonio area saw the steepest drop in the number of homes that changed hands in the first nine months of this year compared to last year, per a Redfin analysis of the 50 most populous metros.

Why it matters: Nationally, homes are selling "at historically low rates" as costs stay high, homeowners cling to cheaper mortgages and economic uncertainty makes shoppers hesitate, per the real estate site.

Zoom in: 2.4% of homes in the San Antonio area changed hands in the first nine months of this year, down nearly 27% from last year.

Zoom out: Some 2.8% of U.S. homes changed owners through September — the lowest turnover rate for the country in at least 30 years.

• That's down a hair from last year, when existing home sales dropped to the lowest level since 1995.

Between the lines: Sun Belt sales have particularly sagged as the region loses some of its affordability and climate risks grow.

• After San Antonio, the turnover rate fell furthest in Charlotte, North Carolina; Jacksonville, Florida; Miami; and Orlando.
• Only three metros analyzed saw faster turnover rates than a year ago: Virginia Beach, Virginia; San Francisco; and Indianapolis.

The bottom line: "America's housing market is defined right now by caution," Chen Zhao, Redfin's head of economics research, said in the report.

🆕 Three board members for the Alamo's fundraising arm have quit in protest of the forced resignation of former Alamo Trust CEO Kate Rogers. (Express-News 🔑)

🐘 Conservative activist Patrick Von Dohlen is the only Republican to run for the GOP nomination for Bexar County Judge next year. (SA Report)

🍽️ Tulum Mexican Cuisine, from the team behind Coffee + Culture, is now open in Stone Oak. (SA Current)

😋 The picadillo macaroni and cheese at 2M Smokehouse is one of The New York Times' best restaurant dishes in the U.S. this year. (NYT)

A Texas Hill Country winery is the first in the state to land on The World's 50 Best Vineyards list.

Why it matters: Texas' wine country is raising its game, and people on the outside are taking notice.

Zoom in: William Chris Vineyards, off U.S. 290 between Johnson City and Fredericksburg, made No. 31 on the list.

What they're saying: "From the growers to our community, this recognition belongs to everyone who believes in Texas wine," William Chris wrote on Facebook.

What's next: You can book a reserve tasting, which includes five samples and a behind-the-scenes tour, for $40 per person.

Worthy of your time: Texas wine is growing up

Christmas tree prices spike around Thanksgiving, then start gradually falling until Dec. 25, per Square data shared with Axios.

By the numbers: Average daily prices nationwide hit a max of about $142 on Nov. 28 last year, sliding to just under $58 on Christmas Eve.

How it works: Tree prices depend on several factors: size, local supply, pre-cut vs. cut your own, etc.

💬 Our thought bubble: You might spend more buying early, but your "price per day with tree" could be lower.