My new hive has had the feeding tank on for about
two weeks and I think it's time to remove it
and clean it out: it only has about an inch of
sugar syrup and that looks pretty mucky: black
moldy streaks floating in the liquid and on the
sides of the tank.

It's Tuesday night and unless I wait until the
weekend, the only time I can remove the tank
is before or after work.

The tank is polystyrene with a clear, movable
plastic (not screen) L-shaped bee guard
along one side where the bees access the sugar
water.

After lifting the top and giving the tank a quick
eyeball, I noticed the bees have made a little
comb along the top edge of the L-shaped bee
guard.

The Carniolan bees are inside the bee guard
and, I assume, still feeding on the sugar water.

I have a smoker, which seems over kill for a
30 second job. I also have a packet of liquid
smoke I could mix up as well as an aerosol can
of something called "Fabi-Spray" with
instructions in English, German, etc.

Any tips on how I should go about removing
the tank so I can clean it out with bleach,
rinse it well, and get it back on the hive
with the 2 1/2 gallons of sugar water I have
prepared in advance?

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