how can i clear these small roots from my septic system?

I've been doing it by hand (wearing gloves of course) but I've gotten about all that I can using my hands and some plyers to pull with. The flow into the tank is decent now (it was completely stopped up before) but while I have it uncovered I'd like to remove as much of the obstruction as possible. It's very cold to touch and slimy/wet so it's a chore to remove any of the remaining gunk and small roots given the small area with which I have to work