St. Augustine gopher damage when to repair

I put St Augustine in my backyard (500 sq ft) this June, and much to my horror, a portion of it just got damaged by a gopher, who I believe (based on the past two days) is finally in gopher hell.

I live in So. Calif., and I am wondering if it is too late in the season to repair the damaged area with St. Augustine plugs. Or should I just wait until Spring?

Since it is a warm-season grass, and the warm-season is almost over, I'm not sure what to do. If I do nothing, will the bare areas eventually self-repair when the grass starts growing in the spring? Or should I repair with plugs in the Spring?

The coldest it gets where I live is about 40 degrees. Will my St. Augustine grow at all during a mild winter like this to begin covering the bare areas?

Suggestions?

I'm in Long Beach, right near you, so you could do your "plugs' now and they should "take". If the rest of your lawn is in full sun, you shouldn't have a problem.

I have 2 full St. A. lawns...the front lawn faces NORTH, so it goes semi-dormant in our "winters"...the back lawn is in full sun and stays green all year. You still have time.

Try going to MB Nursery in Gardena...they have 2 locations: Del Amo and Figueroa and the other is on Main Street right next to the Goodyear Blimp launching site. They usually have St. A in flats for much cheaper than Lowes or HD.

Also, yes, the bare areas will fill in on their own...it grows pretty fast. Just water it well and you should be OK. Being a thick grass, it needs a little more water than blade grass to keep it looking lush.