3 Layer Ventilated Mesh Bee Suit

Hi Peter,

I was wondering if you would give us an update on your OZ Armour suit.
Has it stood up to your expectations?
Is it still fully serviceable?
Do all the zippers still work?
Does the velcro still mesh together properly?
Has the mesh ripped in normal use?
Have you had any bees join you inside the suit?
I’m starting to sound like my grandchildren with their 60 questions… Any feedback would be great.

I received an Oz Armour 3 layer mesh suit with a round hat in the post today, a late Christmas present from the grandchildren.

I was hoping it would arrive before the Australia Day Weekend for the Nuc transfer into my new long hive, but @skeggley’s bees were so gentle I could have done the transfer in a singlet and shorts.

The quality seems great as are the design features which alone, in my opinion, are worth the extra cost.

The big test for me will be when I go to requeen my hot vertical flow hive and 30,000 angry bees decide that they are better than I am. They have occasionally cowered me in the past with their massed attacks :smile:

I have the same issue with both of my Oz Armour suits with the hood zip making a tight turn across the front, they have replaced both hoods with a more rounded design. Other than that I am totally happy with the suits with no rips, tares or malfunctions. Pockets everywhere with Velcro flaps.
I use white woolen socks which don’t cause an interest from the bees, but dark colored ones do.
I make sure the suit is zipped up correctly as is the velcro closures at the ankles and wrists. I usually do away with the gloves when I take the inner lid off and see the bees are calm. I have never had a bee get into the suit at any place and never had a sting thru the suit, it gives me added confidence, I know how just one angry bee can make a bad situation in no time. That said they are still hot to wear but not as hot as the cotton or polyester suits, they lead to dehydration in hot weather. Hope that answers your questions Terry
Pleased that you have meet up with Skeggley
Cheers

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Thanks Peter I was checking to see if I needed extra protection under the suit.

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Ha, wait til the colony builds and see if they are still gentle then Terry! :wink:
I got a vented jacket from BW as a Xmas pressie, from me to me, and it’s ok but the arms aren’t vented, is this normal?
I haven’t had a problem with dark clothing and wear navy blue work pants, blue socks and work boots with the jacket when working the bees.
The new jacket is tight around the neck so knocks my glasses off when pulling it over my head, the fencing head piece collapses on my face too, relatively cheap though but not great compared with my old jacket. I’d have liked one of the Armour ones but I like to try it on first for size as sizing isn’t standardized. I’m not large but I often seem to need XXL!

I wear my birthday suit under it :grinning:
@skeggley On the Oz Armour web site there is a sizing chart for their suits and I found it very accurate. The only time bees have gone for my ankles is when the bees are really hot and I am in the front of the hive and go for my black sox and around my black watch band.
Cheers


This is the new Oz Armour web site. The full suits are better than the Flow suits with more pockets, made of the same materials too.
Cheers

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Thanks for the link @Peter48, certainly looks better and cheaper than our localish BW stores jacket.
There’s a fellow more local who sells suits which are all foam mesh. Actually they are normally given away when other items like extractors are purchased. :smile:

I grabbed an XXXL OZ-Armour Suit which is at least one size too big for me. The crotch hangs down almost to my knees and my arms are a bit short for the sleeves but it would fit you fine. I’m happy enough for you to try my new suit on before I make it all smelly, however, I insist that you wear clothes, as I am still trying to get the picture of @Peter48 hanging the family jewels out to air in his suit out of my head and we don’t need that sort of new age, naturist, hippy beekeeping behaviour in the west.

The Oz-Armour fencing style hoods apparently have a peg that when you lean forward keeps the mesh off your face, this is a great feature if it works.

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Oh @southeastscarp, that made me laugh. My husband does as Peter does, I like to wear some cotton things under my suit. Seems to soak up the sweat.
Thanks skeggs for the link. Ordered myself a 3 layer ventilated jacket. I don’t mind stings on my legs so much any more. A jacket is also quickly put on and taken off. With a suit you tend to think about it twice, so much more hassle.
We’ll see if the quality is better than the flow suits. Made in Australia is always better. Price is similar.

Glad to pass on the link to you mate.
@SouthEastScarp The fencing hood has a plastic insert that holds the screen forward away from your face in any position and it is the only one I have seen that you can unzip the front screen to take a drink of water without unzipping the hood off the suit. There is a lot of thought gone into their suits. Guess you don’t cop the really high humidity we do here, nice to get a bit of air flow into the suit to lower the body temp and that the reason, I’m not a new age hippie, I just hate sweat getting into my eyes.
@Webclan Actually it was me who posted the link, their old site is still there but it is broken in many places with no reply to emails you think have gone to them but hasn’t. With a ventilated suit and going ‘ah la natural’ the air flow dries up the sweat. I agree that cotton soaks up the sweat but my way is much cooler. I also have one Flow suit, the mesh is identical to my eye sight, the plus is the extra pockets, more knee padding, the mesh veil stays well clear of your face and the mesh screen panel can be unzipped to take a drink so you don’t dehydrate in our hot weather.
Cheers all

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Thanks Peter. Just flew over the posts, but credit should go where it’s earned. Apologies.
Actually, that was the quickest e shopping I ever did. One usually gets a confirmation of sale and the receipt emailed immediately, but the Beekeeping Gear mob had it already shipped an hour later with delivery time.
And FREE postage. Makes up for the price.
Can’t wait to try out my new jacket. So far I just had the choice of full suit or veiled hat.
Wonder if I dare to just wear shorts with the jacket. Maybe not always.

The veil opening in the front is also new to me. Is that a glass of wine the suit model is drinking on their website? Bit extraordinary.

It is coming out of Granville next to Parramatta so you should have it within 2 days. Their service is outstanding. I begin each day fully suited up till I get the lid off the first hive and if they are calm it is off with the gloves first. I am happy with just a veil, T shirt, shorts and socks 'n boots. Sure I get an occasional sting but strangely probably most are from rushing to suit up and forgetting a zip, skin color doesn’t seem to draw their anger, at least 90% of my first hits is next to my black watchband and that is my warning that things are going to get testy.
Cheers

Black sandals seem to indicate danger to the bees too. Brown is ok.
I try to avoid stings around my wrist. They must have stung me in a nerve once. Developed an inflammation in that arm up to the shoulder, worst in the elbow. Took almost 2 months to slowly get better. There wasn’t even much swelling. Just an unfortunate spot.
Yep, that jacket will be great.
I know I would loose that black wristwatch.

They are made in Pakistan with an Oz Label.

At least the hat is.

You mean the Beekeeping Gear stuff?
Should have guessed. Nothing is made in Australia any more.
They don’t say it on their website. They indicate it’s made here.

The logo is a Kangaroo with the word OZ…

The label in the hat clearly says Pakistan as per the photo, in Pakistan and India garment manufacturing labour is still cheap, the Chinese westernised quickly and their labour price could never compete with the sub-continent.

Looks like a cold beer to me :wink: :beer: Or maybe it’s a lime cordial :kiwi_fruit:

I’m waiting for a pic too @SouthEastScarp of @Peter48 lol

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A photo would only leave you disappointed. :worried: and I wouldn’t like to do that.:blush:

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Reading logic is making me feel as thick as a brick, I am stunned that I hadn’t even thought about taking the watch off. Is there an icon for me kicking my back side — several times.:face_with_raised_eyebrow:

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Don’t beat yourself up, Peter.

Humans are very good at overlooking the obvious, realisations often come from telling a story or expressing a thought and then reflecting or I expect, re-reading the post.

Now you can redefine yourself to being an enlightened, new age, naturist hippy beekeeper :boot:

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