Well, the time finally came for me to put my ants to sleep for the winter, and I will wake them up in the spring. This allegedly extends the life of the queens, who get a break from egg-laying during the winter.
I have placed my ants in a temperature-controlled wine cooler, which is set to 10 degrees celsius. The test tubes are resting on pieces of acoustic foam, which minimizes vibrations, while still allowing great airflow. I do miss them, but I hope they sleep well, and they will emerge from the fridge in March.
