Question
My husband brought home a dis garden that had a begonia,a kalanchoe,ivy, a mum and a beautiful violet.  I separated the plants and discovered what I think are whitefly larvae or eggs.  Teeny tiny white specks that don't brush off.  I got rid of the other plants.  What can I do to save my violets?  They're special because my uncle gave them to me and he is deceased now.  Help!  Never had this problem before!

Answer
I would think this is foliar mealy bug rather than white fly eggs or larva, which is easier to take care of than the eggs.

Take a Q-tip and dip into a container of rubbing alcohol.  Then drag it across the white specks.  They should come up fairly easily if they are foliar mealy bug.  Some may turn slightly pink.

If there is a lot and you have to use a lot of alcohol, rince off the plant with warm water because alcohol is very drying.  

White flies deposit eggs on the underside of leaves in a crescent shaped pattern.  These do not feed but because of their waxy coating are extremely hard to control with pesticides that don't pierce their armour.

Should you see adults emerging, tringular white insects that fly when you put a pencil near them, you can gain control using yellow sticky cards to trap the fliers.

You can spray with an insecticide containing acephate, diazinon or malathion or containing pyrethrins.  Spray both sides of the leaves.

A systemic insecticide which acts on the foliage of the plant will eventually get inside the white flies will help but this takes time.

I believe your problem to be foliar mealies rather than whitefly.

Nancy