I'd be interested in hearing from Pitts owners/flyers - are they as
difficult to land as they seem (at least to a 182 owner)?

I found the Pitts to be as easy as a Cub in almost any wind condition. It had
lots of control authority, meaning rudder effectiveness. But my background
came with 1500 hours of various tailwheel time before I flew my Pitts.

Two things would cause a Pitts ground loop in my opinion: landing gear out of
alignment or poor pilot technique. Pick one of these two for the correct
answer.
VL