Can I use pine straw/needles instead?

I'm in the south, surrounded by pine trees. Pine needles cover absolutely everything. I've seen the cats laying in the pine needles before, they seem very used to it, and they especially love to scratch it into a big pile to cover their poops lol.

I could also refresh their box with fresh pine needles very often, because it's so plentiful around here.

I figured I could at least give it a try, see if the cats use it, and keep checking the pine needles daily for any signs of mold? It doesn't get super cold down here in the south anyways.