Riever, thanks for your observations. I spoke of harvesting and open-air "hoochmagandie" in the Scottish countryside from some personal experience.
A major problem in making a "bed" of straw was the existence of a small (0.25" length but very narrow) black insect (probably of the beetle family) we called "corn lice" which lived in the grain end of the stalks. You had to make sure you didn't disturb them too much.
And I'll tell you why...
On the farm, when the grain was dry enough, the "Thrashing Mill" (a big, 12' high, boxy machine hooked up to a tractor via an unguarded 6" drive belt) was set up in the farm yard and fired up. The sheaves were brought in from the fields, pitchforked from the lorry (a flat-bed cart) up to the top of the thrasher. The twine was cut and the grain stalks were fed into the machine which was basically a huge vibrator to shake the grain out of the plants. The empty stalks (straw) came out of one end (to be used for animal bedding and manure production). At the other end a blower separated the grain and the husks. The grain piled into a hopper where burlap bags were filled and the husks ("chaff") were blown out into a big pile.
This was a horrible job. As well as all the dust and pollen released during the thrashing process, all the "corn lice" got shaken out as well. Dust and bugs were all over you, in your clothes, mouth, nose and ears! The "corn lice" didn't bite, but were very itchy and really difficult to get out of the ears!
Which is why lovemaking could be hazardous in a Scottish farm field!